Another Birthday Cake

Last month, I posted about a website I had discovered that had great and easy-to-decorate kid's birthday cakes. Well we tried another one this weekend and loved it. Really, if we can do this, anyone can.

I always wanted to do something special (but yet homemade) for my kids' birthday cakes. This website really makes this easy. One thing to note about this Fish Tank cake - we couldn't find the green fruit chews and spearmint leaves the directions called for, so we made do with some other fruit chews that I found at the grocery store. My kids don't usually eat fruit roll-ups/chews so this was a new experience for us. Just use what you can find and make it work.

Here is the website one more time. And here is the Fish Tank cake for son #1's fourth birthday. Yes, he got a real fish tank with two goldfish as part of his birthday presents.

Somebody Stop Me!

So my friend ended up having a girl . . . and of course that means another new ric rac blanket. I'd seen this cute owl fabric and had been thinking it would make a great blanket - sure enough it did. It's all packed in to a gift bag with a girlie outfit for giving tomorrow. While I was at the fabric store I found more great boy fabric (trucks and boats) so someday soon another will be made . . . really, somebody stop me!

This is a picture of two burp cloths that a friend of mine from Oklahoma sent me when son #2 was born. I've been wanting to make a few to have on hand for gifts. So simple but so cute . . . Take a flat fold diaper, cut a piece of fabric that roughly fits in the center part. Sew it down with a fun ric rac border. Wha la . . . . Simple and yet so cute!

A Repeat and A New One

One of the "opportunities" that comes along with being a crafter is that you get to give away the things you create. I'm often looking for opportunities to give away things that I make since my ability to store everything has long since been used up. One of the ladies in my neighborhood is about to have a baby and since she decided not to find out the gender this time I'm having to guess . . . I'm guessing BOY. So I hurried and whipped up another Ric Rac blanket in this cute blue/brown star fabric. Now watch it be a girl!

I saw this Gathered Clutch tutorial over at Noodlehead and have been wanting to make one. So in a recent late night crafting binge I whipped my first one up. Super easy!

Here you can see the cute lining - I decided not to put in the divider and the card pockets on this one . . . . just to get a feel for how to make it.

Of course I have more fabric lined up for another one. This one will be getting an iPod pocket on the inside and it will be traveling with me to China in two weeks. The fun orange fabric will match my new orange iPod. I'll post a finished picture when I have time for another crafting binge night.

I Want It!

I just found the cutest webstore . . . . and something I really want. Since I can't make it myself (despite my own personal jewelry making stash), I will have to save my pennies to buy it from this store. I figured I would add it to my blog so that I can find it when I have some money again, probably like 2012 A.C. (= after China). Check out this cute jewelry and Lisa Leonard's blog. Here's what I want . . . . with an extra pearl or two of course!

Things That Make You Go Hum!

So this post is all about me - this little item is now in my possession - - - to be used in about three weeks. All on my own . . . with a group of people I don't know . . . but I am about as excited as my kids are when they get to spend a day out with Thomas at our local historic train company!

Hum . . . . what will it be like? I can hardly wait to see! And I would be neglectful to not mention a big thank you to a deserving husband who is sending me on my way while he stays home to take care of two busy little boys all by himself! I hope we all survive!

Quilt Labels

Well - despite the piles of crafts waiting in line to be started and/or finished, and despite my great longing to work on many of them, some quality time with my family usually comes first. Work has been incredibly busy too . . . so you'll have to settle for a quick look at a partly finished project.

After son #1 was born I had a friend at work who was pregnant and she started an I Spy Quilt square exchange. Instead of having to make 30 different and unique squares, you make 30 of the same square and then share those squares with 29 other people and you end up with 30 different squares (while only having to buy 1 1/4 yards of I Spy fabric and 1 1/4 yards of a coordinating fabric). So after I got all the squares back I whipped up the quilt along with a second one for my friend's grandson. And when son #2 was born I wanted him to have his own so I made all 30 squares from scratch for him.

Well I always wanted to add quilt labels to each of the quilts and designed these about 1 1/2 years ago. A little embroidery and a thin fabric marker and they were done. And there they sat waiting for me to find the coordinating quilt fabric to put borders on. I finally did that about a week ago, and now they sit waiting for me to hand sew them on to the boy's quilts. Some day soon! I do have a stack of new blocks waiting to be sewn for another I Spy quilt - with a lean towards the female side for my same friend's newest granddaughter. When I get around to that I'll post the instructions. Super fun and easy! The kids love to lay on their quilts and find all the fun things highlighted in the blocks.

Ric Rac Baby Blanket

I've said it before, and I'll say it again . . . . sewing projects are ALWAYS about the fabric! I found this great tutorial the other night over on Sew Much Ado (http://sewmuchado.blogspot.com/2009/05/ric-rac-receiving-blanket-tutorial.html) and just had to find the perfect fabric and make one. So I snuck out of the house . . . with a child in tow so I guess it wasn't really sneaking . . . and headed over to one of my favorite fabric stores that has the most amazing selection of flannel.

And here is what I ended up with!

I love the non-traditional girl fabric. This will have to find a new home with some new baby girl really soon.

Sew Much Ado's tutorial is really easy to follow - no need for me to do a new tutorial at all. Check her's out and make one of your own. All in all this took me about an hour. Love it!