Hot Days Inside Mean Time in the Craft Room

Some masculine cards for September birthdays made with kraft card stock and 

paper scraps cut on the diagonal.

Love how this sunburst design goes together.

Just cut from the back all the parts that hang over.

I added a folder embossed wood grain kraft cardstock strip to cover the focus point.

Better seen in the first photo.

That is twine twisted around and glued behind the sentiment.

I made some more colorful ones for August birthdays

using the same technique.

And these were fun!

Flamingos!

I used them for thank you cards for members of my yoga class.

Just a few supplies and a little bit of time 

makes a long, hot afternoon go more quickly.

Then, the evening cools down for being in the garden!

More Play Value with the Fairy Tent

Today, the fairy tent became the Fairy Queen's house and throne.

Next, it became a stage by lifting the front tension rod higher to allow

the Queen to enter the stage and dance!

So much fun!

Grandgirls Love the Fairy House

Three and a half and almost one.

Perfect play place for both little ones.

Lily pretends to be a baby fairy wrapped in her cloud quilt.

The tension rods, front and center, show placement for tent effect.

Mom took it down later and rolled it all into the bag and hung it on a hook.

The three tension rods were under $12 at Home Depot.

Idea from Pinterest for a Girls' Playhouse

I saw a tent/teepee (two boys camping) idea on Pinterest and turned it into a fairy house/circus tent/princess castle for my two grandgirls.  It only took some scraps I happened to have in my stash: an old Amy Butler sheet (not even the whole thing!), some satin blanket binding, some ribbons and ric rac trim.  I will need to purchase at a discount store 3 36-inch tension rods!  The whole tent will span a hallway.

Here's the ribbon opening (front).

Ribbons are from my daughter's wedding and baby shower.

And the ric rac trim that covered some spaghetti messes!

Above the ribbons and trim edge (front panel) I added a long pocket on each side

for storing fairy wands and ribbon wands or decorating with pinwheels and flags or signs.

The whole panel is divided into thirds with a center pocket 

(yellow satin blanket binding in rear of photos) for the highest placed tension rod.

The front panel has a rod pocket (lavender) about 12 inches from the edge and the ribbons.

The back panel has a rod pocket (lavender) about 18 inches from the edge and no ribbons.

These two rods closer to the edges can be extended lower on the wall to form a tent effect.

I didn't think the girls would like to be contained inside, but would like a front and back opening.

If folded over the right way, the rods could form a puppet theater across the hallway

with a swag for storing the puppets.

The best part is that the whole affair rolls up on the tension rods

and stores away in a bag I was able to make from scraps from the sheet.

Pictures tomorrow of the girls playing in it!

A lot of potential for good imaginative play after spending an afternoon of sewing scraps together.

Nautical Designs for a Nantucket Hostess Gift

Anchors Away!

Who's Driving this Ship?

Which Way Are We Going?

What's the Weather?

A variety of designs using a Lawn Fawn paper pack "Beachside"

and die cut, emboss and stamp set by Art-c "Nautical"

make a nice set of note cards for a hostess gift.

July Card-Making Session

Dianne's bright and cheery Hello card

with gingham (not denim!) and lace and ribbon

and a little bee!

Bonnie's floral design with lace border

and enameled butterfly sticker.

Carol's dancing owl with a bloom,

colored with markers

and complemented with gingham and 

dotted Swiss rose pattern.

Sue's beautiful heat emboss resist butterfly.

A great variety of designs, a lot of learning about markers, heat embossing

sewing on paper and distress stamp pads.

Always a good time together!

Seed Collages to Attract Butterflies and Caterpillars at Natureworks

Lily wore her Monarch wings and her bright pink Wellington boots

to Natureworks garden center last week.

We were looking for Milkweed plants for their new flower garden for butterflies.

It turned out that a workshop for kids was just starting--and it was about butterflies!

Lily and Mommy made a seed collage on cardstock.

They glued seeds of plants that Monarch caterpillars love to eat.

They will put the seed collage in the ground 

and hope for some good results.

You can't tell that it was over 90 degrees and 90% humidity.

It didn't help the heat, but making giant bubbles

made us forget the heat.

We can get a 5 gallon bucket, two pieces of PVC pipe

and a washer on a cord between them.

Now, we just need her bubble recipe!

Lily knows how to do it!

Seed Collages to Attract Butterflies and Caterpillars at Natureworks

Lily wore her Monarch wings and her bright pink Wellington boots

to Natureworks garden center last week.

We were looking for Milkweed plants for their new flower garden for butterflies.

It turned out that a workshop for kids was just starting--and it was about butterflies!

Lily and Mommy made a seed collage on cardstock.

They glued seeds of plants that Monarch caterpillars love to eat.

They will put the seed collage in the ground 

and hope for some good results.

You can't tell that it was over 90 degrees and 90% humidity.

It didn't help the heat, but making giant bubbles

made us forget the heat.

We can get a 5 gallon bucket, two pieces of PVC pipe

and a washer on a cord between them.

Now, we just need her bubble recipe!

Lily knows how to do it!