It's spring! And what better way to celebrate than to dig up an old hobby, beading. 

These necklaces took a long time to make but I love every single one of them. 

For the first time ever I'm offering to sell them.  I've started an etsy.com account to promote my handmade crafts and these 4 necklaces are my first items!  Check them out on etsy.







Which one's your favourite?







I'm happy to make any custom necklaces, or crochet stuffed animals, hats, or blankets.  If you see something on my craft blog that you're interested in please let me know!

Tags: Other Crafts

A rewarding and simple at-home project.  Anyone can do this.  The results are beautiful and will make you smile every time you walk past your finished project.

First, find an old, used and inexpensive piece of furniture that you can rejuvenate.  Here's my before bookcase:



I didn't think my bookshelf was quite fancy enough for what I envisioned so I added quarter round (edging) around the outside. I filled any holes or cracks with wood filler.

It's best to fully clean the entire surface first. After, if your chosen piece is wood, you'll need to sand it so the paint will adhere properly to the surface. Vacuum and clean the surface again when done. 

If it's not wood you'll need to speak with a professional at your local hardware or paint store to find out what the best primer will be.

Use a paint primer before you apply your colour coats.  I used white and needed to apply three layers.  Let the paint completely dry, two or three days, before you apply any wallpaper.

Cut your wallpaper to fit the spaces before you get it wet or apply any adhesive.  Apply your wallpaper, let dry and Voila!



Find a home for it and fill it with your favorite things!  I love mine!



Please write if you have any questions.

Tags: Other Crafts

Congratulations Lauren & Mike on a beautiful baby girl!  This is one of the many things I made for Lauren and Gracie.  I hope Gracie finds the quilted cotton fleece blanket a perfect soft place to play.

To make this blanket visit your favorite fabric store and pick out two fun cotton fleece prints. Wash, dry and iron your fabric before you start! Lay your first piece face-down on a large working surface. Cut an appropriate sized piece of quilt batting and place it on the first fabric.  Now lay your final piece of fabric face-up on top. Using safety pins, pin all three layers together in about a dozen different places.  This will ensure the layers don't move while you're sewing the blanket together.  Cut both top and bottom fabric so they're 1" - 2" from the batting edge.

To secure your three layers together find a yarn that matches and put small single stitches throughout the blanket, this is quilting.  I decided to tie small yellow and white bows in a pattern across the blanket. This will hold the layers of your blanket together.

Now you're ready to finish your edges. Fold the edge of your fleece sides in towards the batting about an inch and iron for nicely finished edges.  Pin your top and bottom fabric together along the edge to form a clean line. I decided to hand stitch my edges using yarn.  You can use a sewing machine if you prefer.

Once done, remove all your pins and you're finished! A great soft, personal and home made gift!

Tags: Other Crafts

I'm beginning to see another side of crocheting.  There's a whole world of stuffed animals that are simple to make, cute, cuddly and gift appropriate. I had lots of fun making this Giraffe for Lukas' first birthday and although it was intended for him, I think his big sister has grown attached to the little amigurumi.  Either way, I was overwhelmingly happy to witness one of my home-made gifts adored by a child.  I hope my giraffe lives for a long time in the loving arms of Lukas or Lilly :)

This pattern was offered free with sign-up to Lion Brand Yarn's website.  You can find the pattern here. I decided to make the neck a little longer than the pattern recommended.

I wanted to gift more to Lukas than just one stuffed animal so I searched the internet for more ideas.  I repeatedly found information, blogs and reviews on making knotted fleece blankets. It sounded simple so I decided to give it a try.  I visited my nearest fabric store, purchased appropriate fleece and got started.  You can find very detailed instructions here. I decided I wanted a thicker blanket so I used two layers of fleece and tied the two layers together. This is what my knots looked like.

I was impressed by the finished project.

       

Lukas was a tired, little, one year old at his birthday party and I was honoured that he picked me to take a little nap with.  What a sweetheart! Lukas is a wonderful boy.

Tags: Other Crafts, Crochet Projects

Trying to save money and create gifts that are original, appropriate and appreciated is difficult. When I saw the pattern for this awesome stuffed cat I immediately thought of my good friend Kate!  Thank you Wee Wonderfulls by Hillary Lang!

This cat was simple to make in one evening. Most people are amazed that the cat will still stand with it's over-sized head, but stuffed firmly it will! I'm excited to find more patterns of cute stuffed animals like this, they're simple, straightforward and the finished product is quite rewarding.  Give it a try! I'm happy to answer any questions you might have.

Tags: Other Crafts

My friend Holly helped to organize the creation of a blanket for Annie and her family.  She asked that I create three 12" x 12" squares for the blanket and then she proposed the idea of Canadian maple leafs!  I was initially skeptical of my abilities to fulfill such a request, but to my surprise, as you can see below, the squares turned out great.  If I ever get my hands on a picture of the finished project I'll be sure to post it. I hope Annie and her husband and kids enjoy it.  What a great idea Holly!

I found the maple leaf pattern here.  Through the leaf I crocheted with both red & white yarn, hiding the colour I wasn't using. I dropped the red yarn and just left it while I crocheted the white border, on the way back across I would pick up the red again for the leaf.  Play with it a bit, you'll find a way that works for you.

Tags: Other Crafts, Crochet Projects