First Foray into Stamp Making!

I'm finally participating in a Craftster Swap after a 2 year hiatus!
And of course it had to be a Harry Potter Swap...
Specifically, Back to Hogwarts Round 7 (insert link)

I've decided to try making a Stamp for all of my partner's most important Owl Post Letters.

The first thing I had to do was think of a design, I used my Hand Drawn app (link) and came up with this:

Can I just say how much fun that app is? It's so easy to use and I've gotten quite silly with it. Perhaps one day a blog post might happen all about that. But lets just get through this post first, huh?

What a neat way of transferring a pattern on the stamp pad?!!! 

Pencil Transfer, who knew? But this was a mess up as I don't know how mirror images work.

Sheesh.

Above is my first attempt at the pencil transfer, and me (not understanding how mirroring works) thought it was incorrect and tried again.

(But really it WAS correct and I'm an idiot!)

Sheesh.

Here's how far I got when I realized my mistake...

So it turns out I need to do that whole thing over again...Live and learn and laugh it off!

Morgan got to learn how to carve too by practicing on my mess up!

She needed a bandaid...

I ended up doing it correctly the next time, and it turned out pretty darn cool!

I'd totally try stamp making again!

Stampy Cake!

For Morgan's Birthday 2 years ago, we made a Stampy Longnose Cake!

Lee and his brother, Jay, made a rainbow/tie dye cake and I decorated!

Those guys are adorable working in the kitchen together!

Fairly easy when I thought it out.

I made a grid, used Hershey Bar blocks for the "black" parts, green sprinkles for the eyes, and the rest yellow frosting.

Miss Morgan loved her cake and I passed another year of sliding by another birthday party.

Her last year birthday, we had friends over to the house.

Like 16 friends, it was chaos.

Since her birthday is in December, we filled a bunch of squirt bottles with Kool Aid and had them "paint" the snow. Not thinking, I did mostly red since it's Morgan's fave color.

It looked like a massacre in the backyard! HA!

We had all the children decorate their own cupcakes.

It was chaos.

It looked like a massacre in my dining room!

Live and learn....Not completely sure I'd go down that route again.

Perhaps this year she'll finally agree to have 2 friends over for a sleepover and movie marathon?

I can dream, right?

Still Not Inspired!

Yes, I know it's been a long time

(read: years)

Since I've posted anything here!

I'm not very proud of it.....

But, that isn't to mean I haven't been busy?!!!

I've just been busy not being crafty.

I did, however, get some new ink since I posted last!

And now my new adventure is to delve into the world

of heart healthy recipes.

My blood work came back yesterday showing a rise in

cholesterol and triglycerides 

so I did what I always do when I have to research something new...

I start a Pinterest Board about it!

So far, I've made Energy Ballz and Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad.

You know what?

(what?)

Not that bad!

It's been 9 days since my last Kit Kat.

(sounds like a confessional)

I should find a counter for that....

Food Making is soooooo not my forte. 

(this is probably why my numbers are high)

So, that's about it.

Life is good, my kids are healthy, and I love my job.

I can do this!

Drawing Challenge: Day 2

Day 2: My Favorite Animal

"Weezer"

As some of you may know, I have a spaztastic dog named Weezer. He's a Pomapoo (Pomeranian/Poodle) and really keeps my startle level high with his ear piercing bark. He secretly likes to sneak up behind me as he hears Lee pull up in the driveway while I'm totally oblivious about it...Then he yips super loud sending me 4 feet in the air. Silly dog!

But when I thought about this challenge, I kind of wanted to do a Sloth. 

Sloths are cute! They laze about (like me) and do things deliberately (like I wish I did).

So when I asked Lee about it, he immediately nominated Weezer.

Then he defended his case:

It took 2 years of active trying to get pregnant when I kind of gave up

and asked if we could just get a puppy. Lee consented seeing how heartbroken 

I was month after month. He's cool like that.

Within the month of getting Weezer

we conceived.

I guess he turned into our lucky charm?

So now he's my favorite animal too...

Sloth holds a close 2nd.

So to answer Ms Melissa's questions on the Copic Markers...

I'm kind of addicted now.

Since Weezer is black in coloring I thought I wouldn't do him justice in Sepia tones.

With a quick trip to Michaels and a 40% off coupon on my phone

I picked up the Sketching Greys Set.

Below is a picture of the Marker with caps off.

I've mostly used the "paint brush" tip so far.

I really like the smooth application!

Copic Markers 4 Life!

(Ha, Ha..)

Hiatus Ho!

So the last post I wrote was in May.

May!

I'm sincerely hoping everyone is having a wonderful summer, I know we are. 

Time has just simply had no meaning around here. The kids are able to not need me for every single little thing in the morning so I've been able to sleep in a bit. 

I took the kidz to LegoLand with Melissa and her daughter. 

Here's a link to her blog knitting sandwich on it: Oh my gosh you should check out this blog!

The kidz each had a weeklong camp: Morgan- Girly Glitter Art Camp and Will-YMCA Kindergarten Prep. 

I have not gotten a haircut for months and am in sore need of one!

But, I usually post about my craftiness, right?

Well...I still been crafty to a certain extent, but this is the first summer I'm not quite able to eek out time for the craftiness. 

In a way it's irritating, I've not had much of a creative outlet and sort of feel in a rut...

That's not to say I didn't participate in a craftster swap or two. (Tee Hee)

But, my current fun is going to be completely different. 

I've decided to do a 30 day drawing challenge I stumbled onto via The Pinterest!

This is double fun because it's also my first foray into Copic Markers. 

I invested in some Sepia shades to get me started. 

I'm pumped and just finished Day 1...

But I think I'll post that tomorrow. (wink!)

So...

If anyone is still reading this thanks for sticking with me!!!

Morgan's 1st Hoopla!

Miss Morgan's been wanting to stitch on and off for a while.

When I sit down to help her, show her the basics she gets frustrated and puts the thread down for a spell.

This most recent time I decided I'd let her draw with markers on fabric in a hoop.

She LOVED it!

She was even using her hoopla scene as a backdrop

for some Lego Minifig adventures.

I'm seeing a great first step to craftyness!!!

It's a Thrift Store Miracle!

It's not often you find EXACTLY what your looking for at the Thrift Store....

Usually you wander in and fate takes over whether or not something catches your eye enough to buy.
But every once in a blue moon fate smiles on you.

Morgan and I went in looking for Junie B. Jones books and we found 8 of them!!!












Her 1st grade class is reading them and she's become enthralled. So much so we're now working on a Halloween Costume!

 

I found these "fake" "fashion" glasses at Target so we're well on our way!

What are you fine people doing for costumes in your house?

Lockers!

SPECIAL ALERT:
Just got back from Miss Morgan's 1st grade-before school starts-conference.

She is going to be the proud inhabitant of a LOCKER for the first time!

Now the pinterest addict in me wants to start a board all for school locker decoration.

Here's a selection from Locker Lookz . 

Does that first locker have a chandelier?!!

Super cute tutorial on a locker organizer over at Sophie's World.

Made from a shoebox lid AND I get to incorporate duct tape?

Sign me up!

I have some research to do here.

The goal of today is:

1. Don't go overboard.

2. Remember this is not MY locker, it's MORGAN's 

Both important goals...

Perhaps the more important is the second one.

As I type this an epiphany has smacked me...

Let's wait a few weeks and let her get settled. 

If she wants to glam up (note to self: pinterest search "glamping") her space and asks for help, then I'll be there with duck tape, magnets, and hot glue gun in my Crafty Batman Utility Belt.

Until then, keep my crafty mouth shut!

(note to self: make a Crafty Batman Utility Belt out of duct tape.)

Minion Crowns from TP Rolls

How to make Minion Crowns from Toilet Paper Rolls

or...

Silly Minion time occupier.

Every Minion needs a crown, at least that's what Miss Morgan would have you believe...

Materials Needed

Toilet Paper Rolls

McDonald's Happy Meal Minions

Scissors

Markers

Willing Raucous Kids 

1. Get Your Materials rounded up

The TP rolls fit the Happy Meal Minions the best.

I make no promises for other sizes. :D

NO PROMISES!!!

(Look, they're not smiling!)

2. Cut the TP Rolls in half

3. Take your scissors and cut a zig zag across one edge

Ta Dah!

4. Find your kids and get a'markering (or a'painting, or leave them plain...the Minimal Minion look is HOT for fall!)

5. Sit back and admire the fruits of your labors. (And don't think about how many Happy Meals were consumed to acquire the Minions in the first place.)

The Minions were SO pleased with their new crowns they rejoiced!

 MINION PARTY!!!

This purple one started out okay.

There, you see him and he seems to be having an okay time...

 Whoops!

Party Foul!

Shoe-Tyin' Morgan!

So, here's my "1 Clever Idea" for the Summer.

Morgan needs to learn to tie her shoes.

Apparently they test for this in school now, as we've gotten feedback

at Parent/Teacher conferences that she doesn't know how.

This is part of standard testing now?

So, this summer she's been practicing and as an incentive each day she practices

Morgan gets to draw a picture on the shoes with Mommy's Special Sharpies!

I picked up a $5 pair of knock-off Keds from Walmart and some superfun sparkly laces.

This seems to have done the trick.

She's excited to learn, and we have a little personalized momento of this milestone.

We bought her school shoes the other day....

AND THEY HAVE LACES!

No more lazy Velcro for Ducky!!!

Happy Father's Day!

Being the Lovers of Sci-Fi Fantasy Reading People we are, I couldn't let a Father go without his own Godswood Heart Tree!

From the books George R. R. Martin wrote to the show HBO released, we LOVE our Starks around here!

Also, being in Minnesota we're always aware...

Winter is Coming.

I watercolored the tree trunk and the little Starks used their fingerprints for the blood red leaves.

Will trailed off the tree a bit so those were morphed into flying heart leaves.

Look! Someone carved our initials!

How romantic!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY LEE,

YOU'RE THE BEST.

For everything you are and do for us...

the North remembers. 

My Hero....Diaperbutt!

My Hero this week is Morgan.
She had a surgery to remove her adenoids and insert ear tubes. She is very brave and healing up perfectly.

I just had to stitch this up JUST FOR HER!

Now, you may recognize this from the movie "Wreck It Ralph". 

Will got the movie from the Easter Bunny and we've watched it more times than I can count.

Vanellope Von Schweetz, an adorable sassy little character in the movie, is Morgan and my new obsession.

I'm not sure if the following is necessarily a "SPOILER", or just a plot point.....

You've been warned!

Mr. Ralph is a bad guy who just wants to be perceived as good in the video game world. 

He wants a "good guy" medal and Ms. Von Schweetz decides to make one for him, out of delicious sweet stuff.

I did a new thing for me with this by adding a strip of grosgrain ribbon for hanging. 

The words are done with DMC White, all 6 strands, and stitched with a chain stitch.

Here's the back. I've been digging the ric-rac for finishing! 

If you go up a few images toward the beginning, you can see I glued some thinner ric-rac to the side of the hoop for added schweet-ness!

 This Hoop is a whopping 12 incher.

I typically stick around the 6-8 inch size. I wanted this hoopla to be big and bold and I think with the inclusion of felt hearts. 

Also, because My Morgan is so very BIG and BOLD!

Here's a little afterthought:

There's been talk of Vanellope joining the ranks of the Disney Princesses.

She's one princess I can get behind!