BEGIN

Well here it is!

I'm not much for writing, but I do like graphics.

Seeing the weekword begin, I began to think of all this word entails.

Thanks S.Minegar for the inspiring word!
Check out her blog and see the links to all the others participating in this weekword

click on pic to enlarge

Recovering

click for larger view

I've not been doing much crafting as of late.

I had a bone graft in my mouth and have felt pretty #$@*&%.

But the other night when I couldn't sleep I created this!

I printed out the letters in mirror first.

Then I traced the words on freezer paper.

I then hand cut out all the letters, ironed it to the onsie and painted.

I think Oliver looks adorable in it.

click the picture to view larger

A wonderful week-end

We had an awesome time last weekend.

First we got to spend it with our best friends,
(a big shout out to W&J) who we don't see often enough!

Second we spent it in a wonderful B&B.

The Inn at Irwin Gardens in Columbus Indiana.

A wonderful mansion built in 1864 and updated in 1910. Wonderful hosts Jim and Eve , wonderful food , and BEST friends what more could you ask for? This lovely historical town has submerged it's self in Architecture and the arts, boasting architects/ firms such as Gunnar Birkerts,Harry Weese,Taft Architects and Artist's Dale Chihuly's wonderful sculpted glass in the Visitors Center, and Jo Saylors scupture "Puddles and Frog Pond" which can be found at the Bartholomew Consolidated Shchool Admin bldg.

Here is a quick view of our visit.
click on pictures for larger view

This is the back of the mansion and the garden.

The grand stair way and hand carved celings.

All of the furnishings are original to home.

Great Fun!

adding to my etsy shop

I'm adding items other than baby things to my etsy shop.

Here are some really nice Tea/drink mix wallets.

They keep your tea bags and such

from getting dirty or lost in the bottom of your purse!

I think these would make great gifts.

Help Oliver go to college

Help Oliver go to College

Help my adorable Grandson win a scholarship

through Gerber by voting for him in the Gerber baby photo contest!

1. go to http://www.gerber.com/photo/#/vote/
2. click VOTE
3. SEARCH PHOTOS
4. enter: Oliver, South Bend
5. Vote by entering your email address,

click the Gerber baby "security check,"

and click VOTE NOW

Thanks for your support!

designing with mimi

4th of July activity.

I got this idea from Daisha

So I did this activity with my 4 yr old grandson and his 5 mo. old brother.
the baby didn't do much of his. :)
I think it went well.
I don't know where the photo of Connor painting his shirt is.

He had a great time and loves his new shirt!

click here to se a larger view.( the stars are kinda hard to see)
These are the items we used.I mix the fabric medium with the paint

to make it softer and premanent when washed.

First make sure they cover up their good clothes as shown in the first picture!

We made them each a little different.

On Oliver's onsie, I used the fabric medium and paint with no water. I used a foam brush and pounced to fill in the whole area. (kind of thick and took a long time to dry)

We added water to Connor's paint and fabric medium mix ,

and used a Sea sponge and he lightly pounced the paint on.

I like the look , it dries real fast and the project goes real fast.

(important when working with a 4 year old!!)

Oliver's onsie during the painting process

adorable post-it-note covers

I have tons of scrap booking stuff, but I rarely scrapbook. I do, however, make cards and other nifty things. I came across this fun notepad cover idea back in November and I have since made a zillion! They are fun and easy.

Here are some I have done:

And here's how it's done:

Go to your favorite local crafting center and get a book covering kit. Mine is the 3'' x 3" kit from Michael's--it's perfect for post-it notes. My kit included a plastic template, note pads, and cardboard spine and covers for about 3 or 4 books. This kit will get you started (with supplies, dimensions, and a reusable template) but once you get the hang of things, you can probably go kit free.

I now have my handy husband cut the covers and spines (he is more accurate than me!) out of illustration board and I get my post-it notes in bulk whenever they are on sale. You can buy pastel colors or just the regular yellow. I recommend using 15 x 20" illustration board-Medium (mine is from Hobby Lobby ) and cutting it yourself-- it will save you a lot of moolah!

These make great gifts. ENJOY!!

* If you'd like more detailed instructions, check out my tutorial.*

Post-it- note minibook tutorial

Here is the tutorial for the minibook as seen on a previous post of mine.

I think you will enjoy crafting these cuties.

* I find my self-healing crafting mat is especially helpful for this project, as it keeps table surfaces from getting damaged.

~~


mini-book supplies:

2 squares of 3 1/4" illustration board and one spine 3/8" x 3 1/4"
any 2 pieces of decorative paper, sized at least 8 1/2 "x 5 "
any embellishments you'd like to add .

Use the template and any regular weight scrap book paper.

Trace and cut out the outside cover of your book.

Then cut out a liner of your choice, 3" x 6 3/4"

Glue front, back, and binding piece to the paper.

Then fold and glue the long sides down, then do the same for the shorter, end pieces.

If your design includes some type of ribbon around the sides, make sure that you bring it around to the inside before you glue in the liner. This keeps the book neat. The same thing goes for rivets and pins used for embellishment or as closures.

Paste in your paper liner.

Let the paper dry, then crease the insides of the spine just to make a clean fold.

Now get out all of your "bling," embellish, and have fun!

Some of my secrets:

A trick I use when gluing is to use an old magazine.This keeps my crafting surfaces clean and allows me to glue right up to the edge. Use a clean page for each glue up, then turn the page. Once the pages dry they can be used over and over again.

The easiest way to keep the cover shut is to use ouchless hair bands. These are just the right size! I usually tie on a charm or button to dress it up a little.