Sip & Sew

Love your teeth!

The Tooth Fairy is always watching and will tell your dentist if you are being naughty!

To other news. . . . .

My teacher friends from work and I have started getting together for an event we call "Sip & Sew". This involves one teacher who is very knowledgeable about sewing feeding the other "students" (myself and other teachers) helpful hints about the ambitious projects that we dream about making. It also involves "sipping" multiple types of fancy libations to keep us motivated! I have been very impressed with what we amateur sewers have created!

These are some more of the flowers that I learned how to make at one of our earlier events.

This a stash all bag that I created using this tutorial from Skip to My Lou's blog. Awesome tutorial, very easy to follow.
It was super easy and can easily be completed in under an hour.

So, I went ahead and made 3 more. These are nesting bags that will make a perfect present for my sister's birthday! I added handles at the ends of the zipper. I used duck cloth for both the outside and the lining. These should last f o r e v e r!


I anxiously await our next Sip & Sew! I need to find something else to make. Perhaps some pom pom flowers or a pillow case dress My friend made one hella cute pillow case dress yesterday at Sip & Sew! You can make these and send them to orphaned children so they have something beautiful to wear!

Making Fabric Flowers

This is Speedy who is laying on top of Scout, she is under the blanket. Speedy, Scout, and I all surfed the web today for fabric flower tutorials! We found some pretty great tutorials and collections of tutorials. Check out these sites for inspiration and instructions!

http://www.skiptomylou.org/2011/03/22/10-beautiful-fabric-flower-tutorials/

and here:

http://www.tipjunkie.com/fabric-flower-tutorials/

There are a ton more out there so don't despair if you don't see something that you like.

Thanks to my school teacher friend who taught me how to make these fabric flowers! They are so easy and fast to make, incredibly satisfying! My dogs helped me make these today.

You can use these flower on hair pins, headbands, as pins, bouquets, on necklaces, etc., etc. . . . .

I had to go out and buy some stretchy headbands so I could put a flower on one.

I love this simple flower! It would look great in anyone's hair and can keep you smiling all day long knowing you have a flower in your hair! So cute.

Then we moved onto felt flowers.

No sewing required! Just cutting and gluing with the trusty hot glue gun. Tomorrow, the dogs and I shall attempt to incorporate one or more of these felt flowers into a headband. Scout and Speedy are very excited about this.

As I continue to create, I would like to begin posting tutorials on the things I make. I just need to get a little more organized and find the time balance! Anywho, Goodnight to You! It is late and as we all know, puppies need their beauty rest!

More Flowers. . . . .

Monday free from work! Lots of time to make button and pen bouquets while watching Miss Marple on Netflix!

Adopt a Puppy!

While trolling the thrift store, Diversity, I came across an old craft book all about making kids toys. This is where I found the pattern for these incredibly cute dog hand puppets. I may now be making these puppets for the rest of time.

I think these beg for googly eyes, but was unable to find them at the craft store I went to. What craft store doesn't carry googly eyes? I guess this version with all pompoms for the eyes and nose is more kid friendly, hopefully eliminating the need for the Heimlich.

I repurposed one of my old hats that my dog, Speedy, so lovingly nearly destroyed during one of her early chewing rampages. Once I had made one, I decided that I needed more mainly because I cannot resist stuffed animals. This has been true all of my life.

You can tell all of your secrets to a stuffed animal and they won't tell anyone. They sit and listen to you, maintaining fantastic eye contact and will not interrupt.

If you are in Richmond, VA area and want to check these out, you can go to Clover in Cary Town. Clover is a kick-ass consignment shop for kids clothes, wears, toys, and assorted awesome findings.

Anywho, I highly recommend that everyone have at least one or maybe two or more. . . . .

Flowers in Action!

Here are some great pictures! These are the mini-bouquets that I made for one of our friend's wedding. The colors turned out really well with their color scheme. Thanks for the photos!

These were fun and easy to make!

Lovely!

Cozies from the workshop

Thanksgiving Break! A quiet house while others are at work and the dogs are busy lounging in the sun. I went up to my workshop and went to work re-taping/repairing my dilapidated light box. After that, I took some time to put together some new coffee cozies.

If you are in the Richmond, VA area, you can check these out at House of Homemade located in Church Hill.

And, down they go!

Even dragons brush their teeth!!!

I have been away at a school nursing conference; YaY for school nurses! Time for another display board!, as seen below:

Then, work must be done so it can be filled. I have been putting together whatever pops into my head lately, and it has been a lot of fun. Animals, dangly things, visits to CaryTown and Diversity for inspiration and materials. . . . .

Re-purposed pin made into a necklace:

Re-purposed stamping from the wonderful Luxor Vintage Clothing (they do not have a web page, just location and contact info.) They have clothing, jewelry, odds and ends, oddities, etc., etc., pretty awesome store:

More beads from Bangles and Beads:
I think this may have been my favorite piece this time around. I made an old necklace into a headband:

So, the food pyramid is out the door. Now, you just need to look at your plate and know what to put on it! Half of your plate should be fruits and veggies, one quarter should be lean meat or protein, and one quarter should be whole grains. As always, use fats and sweets sparingly. I won this plate, along with many other awesome teaching tools, at the National Association of School Nurses annual conference. I could carry this awesome plate around with me everywhere:

This may have been the best thing I won though. This dragon has a set of dentures! It is for teaching the young'ns about dental hygiene!

And, for a close-up of the teeth:

Look at those white teeth, BLAM, the flash couldn't take it!