crafting - chikaustin

crafting

October24th

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a girl and her decopage pumpkin

Posted in: crafting, kid crafts

There have been so many lists for me to keep up with. Things to buy, things to bring, things to decorate, things to make. I knew Chloe needed to bring a decorated/not carved pumpkin to school so we made a stop after school last week to a small pumpkin patch at the local United Methodist Church for Chloe to pick out her pumpkin. It’s funny to watch the way kids pick and choose things.

Well Chloe sprinted straight for the biggest pumpkins she could find. She’d go over to one and try to lift it. Then to another. Then another. I would walk over to her with a Chloe size pumpkin and she’d shoot me down time after time. There really is no rationalizing with a two year old. It has to be her idea or it just won’t fly. After a few minutes she ran over to me with a Chloe size pumpkin and said “Chloe pumpkin.” Well alrighty then. We have a pumpkin. I gave her one dollar to pay for her pumpkin and off we went.

I had seen a few ideas around the blog about decopaging pumpkins so we came home and gathered our supplies: a pumpkin, Mod Podge, a paintbrush, and a leftover birthday napkin.

I let Chloe use the paint brush and spread the Mod Podge all over the pumpkin. We then wrapped the napkin all around the pumpkin and then put a thin layer of Mod Podge on top.

It took a couple of hours to dry, but was WAY easier than painting with a toddler. She rode with her pumpkin in her lap to school today. I do believe she likes it.
October21st

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handmade iPad cover {wonder woman}

Posted in: crafting

It’s that time of year again. The time of year when I have 103 projects all going on at the same time. I don’t know why I work best this way, but I do. In the middle of my chasing the kids around the other day I got a wild hair. I need to make an iPad cover. Like, I NEED to make it. Right now. So I hemmed and hawed for a few days thinking about what I’d want it to look like. I looked on Pinterest and Etsy for inspiration. Most are pretty masculine. What, no iPad covers with doilies? Ludicrous.

I picked up these Martha Stewart tea towels last week at the thrift store. Then dug through my stash of vintage fabric and lacy bits and found a few more things to use. Then quickly reazlied that I have no idea how to make an iPad cover. I’ve made a bag before and it’s the sandwiching of layers that puzzles me. So I sat there on the floor, amongst all of my fabric, trying to figure out how exactly I would make an iPad cover.

I couldn’t find a tutorial I liked so I winged it and came up with my version of a Wonder Woman iPad cover.

And here’s a fancy tutorial just for you: I traced the iPad, sewed the fabric together, added a few details to the front, sewed on some velcro, added a lining, and taaadaaaa… A wonky, but not squiffy iPad cover.
October14th

6 Comments

making {chevron crochet}

Posted in: crafting

I love fall. I know we have been through this before. The colors changing, windows open, cooler temperatures, knee high boots, pumpkin spice latte, jeans, and hearty foods.

I set up my little Craft Hope World Headquarters again in the bedroom of our new house. At night the cool breeze blows in and I listen to the church bells every hour in the distance. I love this part of where I live. The church bells. I work on Craft Hope, thinking about the kids whose lives we will touch. The smiles the sock monkeys will bring. If you didn’t know already I announced Project 15. Skidaddle on over and sign up to make sock monkeys for children who lost their homes to the Texas wildfires this past summer.

Back to the church bells. So they ring from the church next to our neighborhood. You know the sound. I’d really only heard it when traveling abroad many, many moons ago. Or in movies. There is a calming presence to the church bells. Until you decorate your heavily antique furniture house for Halloween. Then it becomes just a little bit eery. For real.

Another thing I love about fall is crochet.

I’m starting on my Christmas presents early this year. Early for me means before black Friday. So I definitely have a jump on things compared to years past to start even BEFORE Halloween. I’m crocheting a full size chevron style blanket.

Here is the start of it. I have a few more feet to go.

I’m really loving the chevron prints right now. They seem to be popping up everywhere. And you know, Chevron is in… because Charlie Brown said so.

I carry the blanket with me everywhere – much like Linus if we are keeping with the Peanuts theme – in my trusty Dottie Angel bag I made last year in Seattle with Tif herself. She reminded me to be crafty at least twice a day. I had forgotten this lesson due to the daily duties of being a working mama. So Tif, I’m back to being crafty at least twice a day. I promise.

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