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Sewing with My Daughter

Over the weekend my daughter and I made this retro doll.  This was the first time my daughter sewed something that didn't have pre-punched holes to guide her stitches.  It was a little challenging for her but I think she did a great job. From the project she learned how to sew a whip stitch. She sewed half of the face and the front of the dress.  I sewed the rest. 

At first she thought it was too hard but began to get the hang of it.  We split the project up into three days so it wasn't too daunting.  Towards the end of the project she wanted to sew on the shoes so I let her.  Moments later she broke down crying that it was too hard and it was so easy for me.  This was one of those moments where I had to choose my words wisely.  I explained that I've been sewing most of my life and she's just starting to learn.  I also pointed out how nice her stitches looked.  I would like to think that she felt encouraged.

Our projects don't always go as planned but they're time well spent.

This pattern came with issue 34 of Mollie Makes magazine.  The pattern was designed by Danielle Thompson who owns and runs the online store Kitschy Digitals. If you have a chance, check it out.  There's a lot of cute patterns over there. 

Happy Girl's Day!

Happy Girl's Day!  Okay, you caught me.  I'm a day late but I still wanted to get a mini post in.  This year we went to the Japanese market just before Girl's Day which meant there were a lot of special treats just for the occasion.  After drooling over all the food and pretty packaging, I settled on this bag of chocolates. 

Inside the bag were these cute little Japanese emperors and empresses candies.  They're almost too cute to eat. 

If you're wondering what Girl's Day is all about, I've written a post here.

It's Never Too Late

It's Never Too Late by Dallas Clayton

I had planned on sharing this book with all of you in the beginning of the new year but time escaped me.  And as the book states, it's never too late so here goes...

A few months ago I was asked if I would share It's Never Too Late on Zakka Life.  Even though this is not a craft book, I said yes because Dallas Clayton books are all about inspiring people. What I enjoy about author Clayton is that his positive, seize the day spirit always shines through in his writing.  

As stated on the cover, It's Never Too Late is a children's book for adults.  The book is filled with whimsical illustrations and pros about focusing on what matters.  The book touches on themes of following your dreams and making each day count.

If I were to buy this book, I would give it as a gift for someone going through a new phase in their life that needed a little encouragement. 

To learn more about Dallas Clayton, you can visit his official site at dallasclayton.com .

DIY Valentine Roundup

Origami Heart Necklace 2012

In the past six years of blogging, I've been sharing all my Valentine projects with you.  And since I've built up quite the collection, I thought I would share some of my favorites.  Enjoy.

 Superhero Lollipop Valentine 2011

Out of this World Valentine 2012

Snail Valentine 2009

Origami Heart Valentine 2011

Roller skate Valentine 2013

Valentine Printable: Heart Teasers

Do you remember brain teasers?  Brain teasers are puzzles that require one to figure out a phrase or idiom from the image/words.  I recall having fun trying to decipher these kinds of puzzles when I was in elementary school.  Recently, my son reminded me of brain teasers when he showed me one that he learned in school.  That inspired me to make these valentine "heart teasers".

There are four printable "heart teasers" .  I recommend them for children in grades 3rd - 5th. 

This template was created to be printed on 8 1/2 x 11 card stock.  Click on the image, right click, copy and paste into a document such as word.  You may have to re-size it to fit. Print. Cut out cards.

I printed the valentines on card stock.  I also wrote the answers on the back of the valentines.  You could also tape a piece of candy over the answer so the recipient doesn't see the answer right away. 

Washi Tape Stop Motion Video

 

It should be no surprise by now that I like all things washi tape.  So when I stumbled upon this stop motion video by MT Tape, I had to share. The MT Youtube channel has other videos as well.  I haven't viewed all of them but it looks like most of the videos showcase their events. Enjoy.

Printable: Origami Calendar

With every new year brings the overabundance of printable calendars.  One that stood out for me this year was a modular origami calendar designed by Ilona Taschner (model originally designed by Michael Naughton).  The calendar is comprised of six squares and is surprisingly easy to put together.  I also liked that little ink was needed to print out the templates.  There are two sizes for the calendar and I made the "big" size (about the size of a baseball). You can find the template plus directions to make the calendar at make-origami.com.  Once at the site, scroll down for the template link.

Book Review: Uncommon Cards

Uncommon Cards by Jeanne Williamson

With the holidays over, I'm left with a plethora of paper, ribbon, and packaging.  So, I thought this would be the opportune time to review Uncommon Cards since it's all about making cards with recycled objects.  The book features 52 projects to make stationary using found materials combined with sewn designs.

I decided to test out one of the projects with a leftover nutcracker promotion brochure.  For the green paper, I used a piece of cardstock that comes with the book. The directions were straight forward and the card was easy to make. 

This was the project I modeled my card after.  The projects in the book are versatile allowing one to add their own style to the cards.

One important thing I should point out is that all the cards require machine sewing.  The photo above is a good example.  Even though it is possible to hand stitch the cards, I wouldn't recommend it.  

One of my favorite parts about the book is all the rich textures created from combining different materials and sewing stitches.  Honestly, has a garlic bag ever looked so sophisticated?

To learn more about the Uncommon Cards, click here.

A Belated Happy New Year

I hope all of you were able to enjoy the holidays.  My family and I enjoyed a restful staycation with lots of eating (perhaps a little too much).  In the new year we decided to visit somewhere new and went to Lands End in San Francisco.  It's a lovely park for scenic hikes with a view of the Golden Gate Bridge. 

Wishing everyone new adventures in the New Year!

The Annual Yule Log

Swissmas by Mathew Lucas

For the past six years on Christmas day, I've posted a video of a yule log.  This year I'm breaking from tradition and sharing this Yule Log 2.0 site.  Just click on the image to visit the Yule Log 2.0 site.  Once there, you can pick out a yule log to watch that suits your taste. 

Merry Christmas everyone!

Festive Funk Machine by Moo

I know this is a silly time waster but I like it none-the-less.  Cute design gets me every time. The Moo site has created this interactive music generator called the Festive Funk Machine.  All you do is click on a robot and it starts singing or playing an instrument.  My kids and I had fun making different combinations of tunes. You might enjoy it too.  Click here, for some funky holiday music.

Part II: Christmas Gift Wrap with Origami Details

The more gifts I wrap, the more ideas I come up with.  Here are a few new ideas for my "origami theme" gift wrap.  In case you missed it, you can see the first part of Christmas Gift Wrap here.

 O Little Town of Bethlehem

A medallion made from Motif Pattern of Origami.

Palha Italiana Recipe

A few weeks ago my husband came home raving about a dessert (Palha Italiana) he tried at his company potluck. What piqued my interest was he claimed it was better than his maple flan recipe.  Now maybe flan doesn't sound that exciting to you but the flan recipe he has is amazing.  To me it's a cross between creme brulee and flan.  People who don't even like flan love that recipe so naturally I wanted to know more about this "Palha Italiana".

Fast forward to today, I got the recipe and tested it out.  The verdict: I still think the flan is better.  However, this recipe won the dessert potluck contest over all the other fresh baked goods. Since it's so easy to make, I thought some of you might enjoy it for the holiday season. 

This recipe was given to me by the Lyon family.  They also gave me permission to share it with all of you on my blog.   Enjoy!

Palha Italiana Recipe

Ingredients:

2 packages (4.9 oz) of Maria's cookies - pictured above, this box comes with four packages total

2 14oz cans of sweetened condensed milk 

1 stick of butter - the recipes didn't specify unsalted.  If you like a little salty taste use salted, otherwise use unsalted

1 egg

2 Tablespoons of cocoa powder

Sugar for rolling

Non-stick cooking spray

Directions

1.  Break up both packages of cookies into fourths/fifths.  Place in a large bowl and set aside.

2.  Whisk egg and set aside.

3.  In a medium size saucepan, melt butter.  In order, add both cans of sweetened condensed milk, egg and cocoa powder.  Whisk until smooth.

4.  On medium to high heat, cook until mixture thickens (about 10 minutes) stirring continuously.  I found the mixture starts off thick, gets thin from the heat and thickens up again.  The texture of the sauce will be like pudding when it's ready.

5.  Add sauce to bowl of broken cookies and fold in mixture so all the cookies are coated.

6.  Spray a 9 x 13in glass pan with cooking spray.  

7.  Add mixture to pan and spread out to make flat.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or more. 

8.  Once set, take out of fridge and cut the dessert into 1in squares while it's still in the pan.

9.  Roll each square in sugar.  Enjoy

It can be enjoyed chilled or at room temperature.  Our family prefers it at room temperature because of the soft texture.

Printable: Snowman Drink Decorations

Have you ever visited the Mood Kids site before?  I discovered the site a while back and found their projects quite charming.  They have a good amount of fun printables.  One specifically that caught my eye was this snowman drink decoration.  I especially liked the creative use of the orange straw as a nose.  These would be fun to use as a surprise at dinner.  Or you could print out a set for a classroom party.   Click here for the free printable.

Chrismas Gift Wrap with Origami Details

 Origami Dove

Each year I like to choose a theme for my Christmas gift wrap.  This year I decided to incorporate origami pieces into the wrapping as a picture.  The gifts were wrapped with basic brown craft paper.  Once the gift was wrapped, I  drew directly onto the package with a white paint pen.  And for the final touch, I added an origami piece made from metallic paper.  The gifts came out fairly close to my vision.  If I had more time, I would have changed a few things but it is just wrapping after all.  I know this will all be ripped away in a matter of weeks so I can't be too picky.  Plus, I still have more gifts to wrap. 

 Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse

Origami Angel Tree Topper

Kid Craft: Holiday Cards for Dolls

My family and I our in the full swing of the holiday season.  The Christmas tree and other decorations are up.  The kid's have been feasting on their chocolate advent calendars.  Dates for holiday gatherings have been set.  And last but definitely not least, we've been crafting.  My daughter and I have been making these tiny holiday cards for her American Girl doll.  They're such an easy craft, I thought some of you or your children might enjoy making them too. 

Supplies:

Christmas images (about 1 /12in by 1 in) - we cut out images of cards from a Paper Source catalog.  Any small Christmas images will work. Look through all those catalogs you been receiving in the mail.

Scraps of card stock

Glue dots or glue stick

Scissors

Scoring Tool (optional)

Instructions:

1. Adhere image with glue dots to the right side of a card stock scrap.

2. With a scoring tool or by hand, fold paper behind image to make a card shape.

3.  Hold the card shut flat and trim off excess paper.  Making the cards this way opposed to measuring out the card stock first is easier for children.

Fun Labels for Your Handmade Goods

Image Credit: Sublime Stitching

For me, what elevates a nice gift to fabulous are the details.  That could mean the way it's wrapped, how it's presented or a special detail to the gift itself.  Which is why I'm absolutely smitten about these labels from Sublime Stitching. They're just the right touch of whimsy for that special handmade gift.  I personally like the Japanese labels that read "made with love".  However, the "this took forever" labels come in a close second because haven't we all wanted to say that at some time.  

What's your favorite?  Would you use these labels in your handmade gifts?

Hand-knit Gift #2

As I mentioned earlier, I've been trying to make a few gifts for Christmas.  I knit this hat last week. It only took me two days to complete but one could easily make it in a day.  And don't let the leaf pattern intimidate you, it's actually pretty easy to knit. I was even able to watch T.V. while knitting this.  That's the true test of a simple pattern.

This hat is knit on size 10 needles with bulky yarn.  If you look at the original pattern, you'll notice that there's a larger ribbed band at the bottom.  I had to adjust this since I used size 10 1/2 needles. 

The pattern for the hat was designed by Deniza Bakalova and is called Autumn Leaves Hat.  You can get the pattern for free on Ravelry. 

CHARM IT! Bracelet Giveaway

Did you have a charm bracelet when you were a child?  I had one, it was a purple plastic chain and it had giant plastic charms to go with it.  Anytime my mom took me shopping, there was a chance I might get a charm. I still have some of the charms today and even briefly wrote about it here.  So when CHARM IT! contacted me about doing a giveaway, I was happy to hop on board.  I completely get the charm thing.  Picking out charms that match your personality.  Seeing how many you can collect.  It's just fun.

CHARM IT! let my daughter choose three charms from their site www.shopcharm-it.com and she picked out the jellyfish, mushroom, and pup in a cup (top photo).  I've got to say, she chose well.  The jelly fish is adorable.  I like how it has tiny swinging chain tentacles.  Ever since my daughter got the bracelet, she's been wearing it.  She really likes it and as you can imagine, has added some charms to her Christmas wish list.

For the giveaway, CHARM IT! sent me this box of three charms with a bracelet to giveaway.  What makes these charms special is that they were all designed by girls.  Every so often CHARM IT! hosts contests for kids to design charms (by the way, there's a contest coming up in the spring so look for it).  How I would have loved to design my own charm as a child.  Heck, I'd like to design my own charm now.  Which brings me to the giveaway.

To enter, please share what charm you would design if you could in the comments. One entry per household. Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you win. The last day to enter the giveaway is Friday, November 29,  2013. I'll announce the winner Saturday, November 30, 2013 on this post. If I do not hear back from the winner after two weeks, I will choose a new winner. Open to US Residents only.

Contest Closed

Congratulations to Danna who is the winner of the CHARM IT!  giveaway!  Thank you to everyone who participated.