Since June...

Oh my goodness...it has been so long.  What a blog slacker I have been.  My apologies.  Anyway, I have a short amount of nap time to get this post in, so it will be mostly pictures!  These are some of the projects I have made since my last post.

Freezer Paper Stenciling:

Darth Vader for Jake

Spongebob for Zoey

Butterfly Headband

(on my new embroidery machine!)

Hat from an old tee shirt

Silk Screen project that I will be working on until I am 40...

Donna Downey Inspiration Wednesday challenge

Ongoing fabric organization

Wedding embroidery

Birdie close-up

Cupcake gift card holder for the same wedding.  The top comes off and holds a gift card!  I put mine on a wooden disk and then glued a glass candlestick to the bottom so it looked like it was on a mini cake stand.

(found the tutorial on You Tube, by Fabulously Artsy) 

(more inspiration and step by step instructions at the My Paper Art blog)

My dress before and after. 

There was a run in the V-neck part of the dress so I had not worn it for years, so I made some quick flowers to cover it up.

Zoey's bedroom, I made her bed skirt tutu and the tree recently.

Tutu bed skirt. 

I looked up a bunch of tutorial for how to do this, but I decided they were all too time consuming and I did it my own way.  It turned out exactly how I wanted and was WAY easier than all the tutorials I found.

Tree filled with birds and fairies.  I had envisioned using a real tree brach draped with beads and feathers and butterflies and birds and fairies.  They had one at a Levin Furniture store as a display once and I loved it instantly.  I will do it when I find the perfect branch.  I am always looking out for one ;) 

Here's the pictures I took of the room display when I was at Levin of what I really want to make...someday

OMG...I love that so much. 

Stocking cap with organza flower

(tutorial for flower found at Calamity Kim's)

Mermaiden Doll

(tutorial for doll from Wee Wonderfuls)

Close up of Mermaiden

Dora the Explorer Embroidery for a pillow

Dora close up

Front of a journal/crayon holder

Inside of journal/crayon holder

Pea Pod Necklace

(so, so cute!)

Flower wrist cuff

Mermaid doll.

My own pattern!!!

Jellyfish

My Mermaid and her Jellyfish

Well, that is about all I have right now.  There are still some projects that I haven't gotten to photograph, eventually I will.  Most of my time since my last post has been spent at soccer games, at dance class, wiping boogers, wiping butts, cleaning up spit up, watching my 9 month old stand and cruise all over, sending my oldest off to kindergarten and my middle one to pre-school, trying to keep our house clean, keeping up on laundry, visiting with family, organizing my 2nd Annual Holiday Gift Show (SO excited about that!!) and loving on my kids as much as I can, cause MAN are they growing up fast...

til next time, have a great day!

What I've Been Making...

I am still here!! I have been busy (kind of) since I last blogged.

Here's just some of the things I have made since I last logged on...

An Ariel dress for Zoey.  I used a pattern (Simplicity #4253) for the top and I made up the bottom from some examples I found doing an Etsy search. 

She loves the big pink flower & I added ties because I made the 4T size (she's in a 3T right now) and it fits better with ties.  Now she can wear it next year, too!

This pattern looked pretty simple when I found it online, but it didn't quite work out like it was supposed to.  The liner ended up being bigger than the outer part which made a pulling effect in the center (totally my fault, I messed up the outer part).  Still cute, since the fabric is so darn adorable!  You can try your own since there is a free pattern HERE (My Spare Time).

This is a little Plush Tree that I made for Zoey after I made the stockings.  I was on quite an embroidery kick during the last month of pregnancy!  I bought this tutorial HERE (Posh Makes).  More embroidery stuff is on the way, too- I just love it!!

AND...

Most importantly, I made this!!

Piper Emily was born 1/15/2010

She is an amazing little girl that we all love SO much!!

I re-covered the old car-seat that Jake and Zoey both used.  No pattern, I just cut the old one apart and traced it for the pattern, hoping like heck I would figure out how to put it all back together before she was born! 

Piper was baptized this past Sunday, my father who is a Deacon preformed the ceremony and my whole family came.  This is the dress I made for her.  The pattern I  agonized over used is Simplicity #4557.  I really stressed myself out about this dress, but it turned out nice.  Not perfect, but nice.  Special thanks to Beth for letting me used her Bernina embroidery machine to add the 'P' and flowers to the top, it really made the dress!  Thanks again, Beth and to my awesome friend Reena for also helping me out with this one!

Here is Piper's room, this corner is still not finished.  I have some small detail painting left to do on a couple flowers, but it is probably (hopefully) only visible to me!  Inspiration was from some fabric I bought at Joann's a few years ago.  I intended to use it for Zoey's bedroom when she was born but changed my mind.  I still had it and still liked it, so I used it to make Piper's bumper and a pillow for her crib.  I have enough left over to make her a fabric banner like the other kids have with her name on it, too!

Since Zoey had to give up the crib for a big girl bed, I am making her a mermaid quilt.  I haven't started it yet, but I have sketches, ideas and fabric set aside. 

Before this room was the spare bedroom and it was painted light blue and had a big tree painted on the corner, but I love the look of the beadboard wallpaper and trim.  Still lots to work on in here, but it's a start!

Well, I am off for now.  Jake hasn't had school since Feb. 3rd and is going a little stir crazy!  Zoey has Fifth's Disease, 2 weeks after Jake and Scott both came down with it.  Piper has had a cold since last Wednesday and I am the only one who hasn't been sick yet, but man- I am tired :)

Next up is something I am planning on making with the charm packs I got from Natalie at Piece N Quilt.  I won a $20 gift certificate from her over the holidays & bought these from her shop.

Have a great Tuesday!!  Lisa

Since Everyone Else Is Doing It...

I thought I would give a try to the 'Family Rules' that seem to be floating all around blog land!  I saw a post awhile back on The Pleated Poppy and thought it was a cute idea, and now it seems like everyone is making one, so I have given in to peer pressure!  Since I have limited (if you can believe it) supplies for scrapbooking things, I did mine digitally (in PhotoShop).  I decided that if I liked it enough, I would have it printed on 24"x30" canvas and hang it up.  Turns out I like it pretty well! 

If you can't read it, here is a list of what I deemed our Family Rules, but I will admit I stole most of them:

* Have Fun, Be Kind
* Always Tell The Truth
* Be Creative At All Times
* Husband- Hug Your Wife Daily
* Wife- Always Be On His Side
* Never Leave Angry
* Clean Up After Yourself
* Forgiveness Is Mandatory
* Encourage Your Brothers And Sisters (positive encouragement only, please)
* Keep Your Promises
* Share Everything Except Bad Ideas
* Sing Silly, Dance Crazy, Hug Often, Smile
* Keep Your Promises, Do Your Best (I know...already on there, I am fixing that before I print it)
* Use Your Manners, Practice Forgiveness
* Always Say I Love You

Hope you are having a great Monday!

Hey....Look! I posted on my blog...

I actually had to look up my user name to sign into Blogger, it's been so long since I have even looked at this blog. But I have a few extra minutes right now, so I'm checking in to say 'hi'. I am sure that my family will be happy that I am updating this, but I am almost certain I have been wiped out of all the other readers 'bookmarks'. That's OK, this is really just for me, anyway.

So, when I started out loving art, I was in grade school. I would draw and paint all the time. I remember my mom went through a phase where she would collect old pieces of slate and paint and decoupage on them. I love that memory of helping her do that. She has always encouraged me to be creative, and I try to do that with my kids, too- no matter the mess {and let me tell you, sometimes we have HUGE messes!} Growing up, my bedroom had paintings on every wall and the door {my dad LOVED that!} I was frequently asked to paint things for church, friends, etc... Eventually, I got older and started expanding my mediums. I eventually found glass and have been playing with that for the past 5 or 6 years.

So, I have in the past couple months gotten out a bunch of my old art work and framed it and hung it up in my studio. It's not perfect, but art doesn't have to be. Some of it is from 20+ years ago and I love looking at it. I started painting again, there is a mural in the kids play area that I started {their dad LOVES that!} and I am just about finished with it. I love the 3D leaves made out of clay, still have to make a bunch more of those. Tinkerbell is waiting for her wand to be done, too!

I probably won't update the blog all the time, but every once in a while. I can't seem to find a lot of time between a 4 year old, a 2 year old and being 16 weeks pregnant again. Maybe when I get my groove back, I'll update more. We'll see. I don't have any current plans on adding to my Etsy shop, either- or maybe I will, who knows... I think I might do more local, face-to-face, shows and festivals. I like talking to the people who are buying my things. People are always nice & will buy from pregnant people!!

Thanks for reading {especially if you aren't related to me} and I hope you enjoy the pictures. I know there are also a couple people {Juliet, for sure} that I owe artwork to and I haven't forgotten! It will just be a nice surprise when it shows up :) Hang on, it's coming!

Later, Lisa