A Little Gifty For Teacher :-)

I thought I'd share the little teacher's gift Paige and I whipped up!

Paige's first grade class is currently in full-on reindeer mode, so the Deer Mae with Pressies digi image was perfect for this gift (You can grab her HERE, in Some Odd Girl's shop!).



We filled the pail with some chocolate-peanut butter truffles. YUMM-O!!!



And here's a pic of Paige rockin' a pair of her very own antlers :-)



Maybe I'll make myself a pair in my size...

Thanks for dropping by!

{Snowy Owl} --- A Primitive Ornament

Hello there!! Whooooooo wants a tutorial??? Ok, cheesy---I know. I just can't help it!

So, I have to confess...I think birds are kinda creepy. Have you SEEN one UP CLOSE??? *shivers*

In spite of my aversion to our feathery foe, I have to say I do like owls :-) It's a funny story. It all happened this last year...

"My children's school was infested by a family of Burrowing (I think!) Owls. They are super cute, fuzzy, tiny and MEAN!!! They don't care how big you are---they'll eat you. One bite at a time. This family of owls terrorized the school yard all year. They would dive-bomb the teachers, hiss at the children and generally cause mayhem all around them. The school tried to have them humanely removed, but nobody would come and get them. So the chaos continued...
Over the summer, I would catch little glimpses of these birds as I would drive by the school. On a light, on the fence, in the road... YES! In. The. Road. As I was driving by one day, I saw one on the side of the road. I slowed down and thought about stopping to help, but when it saw me, it went into full on battle mode. Wings spread, teeth bared (or maybe that part was my imagination!)---ready to eat the car!!! I sat there laughing my butt off. He wasn't scared at all! He was just out on a little walkabout.
Apparently, his family had moved into the small, grassy yard next to the Kindergarten building. This is prime real estate! Fenced in and grassy with plenty of shade trees. Every day, as I would drive by, I would see them. There were three babies and two larger owls. I even named the babies---hee-hee! Jack, Evil Eyes and Mothra. Don't ask!!!
All summer long, I would obsessively look for these owls. I loved my daily glimpses of them! Then one day, just as school was about to start, the lawn care men came and cleaned house.
The owls were gone."

Here's a picture I snapped during parent/teacher conference week. I had to hide under a tree to get that close!!! SOOOO scary! All 6-8 inches of him.



My newfound love of owls led me to buy several owl figurines...AND create this FAB primitive owl ornie tutorial! Check it out!!!





One final note, my son came home from school the other day with a report of an owl siting at his school. They're BAAAAAACCCCCK! Yay!!!

Thanks for stopping by!

{Alice & Friends} --- A Ragdoll Tutorial

Hello, Everyone! Today, I have an "InSpiReD" tutorial for you!!!

The idea came to me while I was trying to figure out what to do for Saturated Canary's Challenge #5. This challenge is AnyThinG GoeS!!! Just create what inspires you. What inspires me right now??? Well, Christmas presents, of course!!! To be specific, my baby girl's Christmas presents :-)

I've always had the best time shopping for her. I have 3 children, and when she came along after 2 boys, I was SOOOOOO ready to buy girly things...and DO girly things...and HAVE girly things around...

Every year, in addition to the plethora of things I buy for my girl, I love spending some time creating a handmade gift for her. This year, when I was coloring up some of our FAVORITE images from Saturated Canary's Digi Shop, Paige practically swooned with excitement!!! She just loves Alice and her Wonderland Friends! I knew right then what I had to do :-)

I started my adventure down the rabbit hole... to make her some friends to keep with her...to have tea parties with...to share her own adventures with...friends that are a little more sturdy than the paper images we love to color together.

MY TUTORIAL...

Color up some of your favorite images. I got mine from Saturated Canary's Digi Shop (link is above.)



Scan your images into your computer and print them onto some Inkjet Fabric Sheets. I usually like to adjust the hue saturation in my photo editing software, to keep the image nice and bright, as these images tend to print a bit washed out.



Trim around your image, leaving a nice big boarder. Then use your cut out image as a template to cut two more copies out of a sturdy fabric. I've used a pair of old jeans that my boys have outgrown, but are a bit too "well-loved" to donate to my local thrift store.



Stack your fabric pieces...



...and pin them together.



Sew around the edge of your dolly, leaving an inch or two open for stuffing. I've used a zigzag stitch.



I've gotten right up to the edge of my fabric!



Stuff with Poly-fil to the firmness you like.



Remember, stuff in little bits! You'll end up with a smoother look and a softer dolly :-) You can use a chopstick to reach those tight corners if your fingers won't do the trick!



Sew the opening closed. I've gone around my dolly with a total of three rounds of stitching. I like the look of a messy edge and the added strenght this provides.



Now, trim up any loose threads or excess fabric.



I've used my finger to fray my edges---again, I love the messy, well-loved look!!!



And now, you have some new friends, ready for an impromptu tea party!!! ENJOY!



These dollies make me smile, so I've decided to add to Paige's collection! Stay tuned for the Queen Of Hearts and The Mad Hattress!!!

A Little Note...

...to say Merry Christmas!!!

Here's another of the projects using those sweet 'lil prints. These cute cards are just the perfect size to send Holiday Wishes :-)






Thanks for stopping by!

{Dear Santa...}

...I can explain.

Hee-hee! I just love that quote!!! TOTALLY reminds me of my kids. Soooo naughty---but never quite naughty enough to justify Santa's Naughty List!

Recently, Krista of Saturated Canary posted about using "regular" stamps and turning them into "Christmas" ones. Can I just tell you that I LOVE this idea! I'm all for getting more from my supplies.

Here's Stroppy Beth (FIND HER HERE!). I've loved this image for a bit now, but while in the middle of Christmas card making, I was pretty positive she was shelved until after the Holidays :-/


Or maybe not!!!









Best. Christmas Card. Ever. Just sayin'.

See ya next time!

Let It Snow!

Here's a few cute 'lil paper clay snowmen :-) LOVE!!!

And soooooo easy to make.




Thanks for stopping by!!!

I recently joined a Handmade Ornament Swap hosted by Cassandra at An Artful Adventure.

As you know, I'm a serious fan of the handmade ornament. I love to make them, and I LOVE to get them!!! So today, I thought I'd share what I made for my swap partners and my FABULOUS returns :-)

Mini Paper Clay Birds...

I used some of my favorite vintage buttons to adorn their little bow ties.



Classic Soldered Glass Ovals...

I recently posted some pictures of prints I'd created using pretty vintage papers. Well, here's one of the projects I've used them in.



Ragdoll Angels...

Vintage applique doilies, mother-of-pearl buttons, and tea-dyed quilt swatches! I've also used a mold of my favorite frozen dolly to make their sweet, little faces :-)



And finally, bleached-bottle brush Christmas Trees!!! When I saw Terri's tutorial on bleaching and coloring your own, I just had to give it a try! I love the bright colors---TOTAL Holiday LOVE!!!



And on to the returns...

Trisha...



Miss Lynn...



Caroline...



I had the best time playing along with my fellow swappers. My house was a mess for the better part of November, but I have to say it was sooooo worth it :-) Thanks so much for the AMAZING orniments, Ladies!

And thanks to YOU for stopping by today!