groundhog day cupcakes

Groundhog day is next week! Already?! I love storing these ideas away for future use with Mont and this soon-to-arrive baby girl. This is a fun one for a holiday that you normally don't do too much to celebrate for. Groundhog day cupcakes!! I saved the downloadable template to my computer for future use (probably not for next week - Mont is still happy with graham crackers these days - or my chocolate chip cookies). 

to make

There are so many 'things' I see and think, "oh! I could make that!" So I click and save a picture to my desktop or my iphoto. 


Well here I am, about to dump many of those photos here so as to never forget them. This will be a quick reference for me if ever I'm feelin' crafty.


Cloth: 
Stephanie Nielsen from NieNie Dialogues took this picture of a free-hanging mobile that she did above her daughters' beds. I think she just wound yarn around Styrofoam balls and attached to the ceiling somehow. I love it so much! I think it could be done in either girls' or boys' rooms: 

Along the lines of mobiles, here is a mobile I found on Etsy for about $130. I was bummed because the maker was only selling it to "________" ... some sort of organization's members. I think the ad said that it was made with lamb's wool, wound and bound wool. What a task! But it's so lovely, if ever there's a sheep or lamb that needs sheering, I will be the one to take home the wool! 

Here is Wendy: 

And Peter: 

This "Red Riding Hood" motif is on what looks like a vinyl bag, but I can easily do this with just regular material for a... quilt patch? O! O! Quilt Group idea! 

Next up, towels! Same popsicle principle. Wonder-under, cut, iron apply, sew. Wallah! 

And yet another sew-down idea. I love the little bird above the branches. This looks like it was on a towel too.. or a blanket maybe: 

This is just a simple garland made of felt circles. I've seen these made into little leaf-cutouts though, too. If you had a little girl you could cut them out in flowers, or butterflies... oh the possibilities are endless! Then just sew straight through them to connect. 

Another angle: 

My friend Amy Sue R. has a blog that she devotes her craftiness to. On said blog, there are lots of fun ideas, that I am inspired by as well. She found this one from a P B Kids catalog. I think it would be super easy and super fun! It looks like the hearts' sides are different fabrics (up to the designer, I suppose!), and the ribbons are just sewn directly onto and through the heart just up top, then dangle free. 

Hot pads. I actually went out and bought the material to make these! There is special heat-resistant material you need to make hot pads. It has some sort of foil intermingled with the fibers... or something. I don't know. I have it! All that's left is doing it!

Clocks:
I don't love the look of this clock, maybe it's the flower or the polka dots. But I love the idea of using thread spools for the number-places. Imagine buffing up a driftwood-looking circle and then using the colored thread spools still. Adorable! 

On a friend's blog, she has a citrus looking clock on her side bar. I don't know where the link was that constructed that for her, but I have wanted a clock like that since. And if I have to paint it to get it, then so be it!

This next one, I'm not sure if it's a clock or .. something else. But I'm pretty sure it's a clock because there are 5 |s where the minutes are to be clicked off by the minute hand. Looks like scrap booking paper is just mod~podged right on top of the wood, with different paper for the clock face.

'Goodnight moon' clock. I think I could paint something along the same lines, just cuter ... at least I hope so. And I'd definitely use different clock hands: 

Misc.:
Magnets. Eeeeeasy. I just need to find out where JoAnns keeps those clear rocks! Perhaps in the floral section? I have no idea: 

Spice rack turned into a polish and oil holder. I like the idea of using this as a spice rack still though:

This antique silverware are just hammered, bent, and flattened, then screwed into a piece of beach wood for a key rack: 

More wood. A spice, spice rack: 

These gift tags are letter-pressed, but I could easily draw these onto cute little tags as shown. I love the idea; so simplistic and yet, so appealing: 

Jewelry:
I love these asymmetrical necklaces lately. The simplistic look, I think, is a modern twist to an old vintage style. It's a great piece of flair! 

This necklace has been on my desktop for some time now. And I am pleased to say that I did make it (though, not this picture shown - this was the picture I looked at in order to make it), and the proud owner is a friend from church: 

And a view from the side: 

christmas lights

A couple of weeks ago, I came home to find Mark and his home teaching companion hanging off the roof, stapling these lights to our roof top. Seem early? Of course! Here the ice and snow comes early, so he wanted to the dangerous stuff before it became life threatening. Mike was nice to help out with this.  

Thursday night this week, an incredible wind storm blew through Alaska. It was gusting up to 100 miles per hour, and our house was shaking enough to wake us up, and keep poor Mark up. Fortunately I can fall asleep anywhere, even though I'm a light sleeper. It's almost like I can program my mind to be aware of some noises, and not let them bother me. It's a gift. 

So after the horrible roof-tearing wind storm, Mark was back up there with our neighbor this afternoon replacing some bulbs (yes, some actually BROKE, and these are the small tiny glassy plasticy ones), and stapling them (every strand) to the wood. We will be selling these things with the house. 

Sounds tacky now? well... not so much here, thankfully. Every house with Christmas lights keeps them up year round, and actually keeps them turned all all through Winter. Even past Christmas. It's Alaskan tradition to keep them on every night through the end of the Iditarod (which is mid March, I believe). Happy Christmas!

glitter snowflake sphere

It is officially December, and thus we bring in the month that holds Christmas. Decorating for Christmas is one of Mark's favorite things to do every year. It definitely brings out the cheer in a person, so celebrating it with loved ones is usually why so many have such fond memories of this season.

I thank the glitter and metallics for a good part of the cheer. Decorations are an expression of the spirit. And when the spirit rejoices in this special holiday, so should the homes.