American Girl Doll Quilts

Hello!

While I've been absent, I've been quite busy!  I know you have been too. 

For Christmas gifts for my nieces I made American Girl Doll Quilts.  They are large enough to fit the dolls, but also make a great wall hanging for each of their rooms if they choose.

I will show you the first quilt today, and the second one tomorrow.

The first quilt is for my oldest niece.  Her doll is "Kit" from the Great Depression era.  She looks very much like my niece, so that doll is perfect for her!  I did a little "research" into the quilts of that era.  Lots of pastels and different patterns like Grandmother's Flower Garden (hexes), Dresden plates, Bethlehem stars, and the string block.

Ultimately, I chose the Grandmother's Flower Garden  and the string block.  I enjoyed making the hexes and making the string block patterns. 

Wanna see?

Front of the blanket with the Flower Garden design and two borders

Close up of free-motion quilting with spirals in each flower hexie

Close up of the back of the quilt.  String block pattern.

Back of the quilt

Hope you enjoyed!  I trated myself to a Craftsy class: Free Motion Quilting A sampler with Leah Day in order to learn the quilting.  This was my first attempt at FMQ.  I was a bit nervous, but I it love how it turned out!

My nice was quite happy as well. :)

Thanks for stopping in!

Where.... are you?

Hello long lost friends!

Well.... maybe I'm the long lost friend.  We have been house shopping, buying, and then fixing-up since May.  Crazy times around our house.  Love it.

Let me just share a few little quick pictures of some house things.  No time for major share tonight.  :)

Did you know that you can paint tub tile in your bathroom?  I found out earlier this summer and made that a project of mine to fix in our new house.  This was awesome, labor intensive, major pain, totally worth it for the end result. :)  We started out with the "1970's gold/yellow" tile in the front bathroom.  Ugh! Seeing as how I wasn't even around for the first time of this wonderful hideous color, I wasn't a fan.  So a trip to the hardware store for a can of Tub and Tile Refinishing Paint was in order.  It wasn't that hard; but took all of an afternoon, and some wicked fumes later we have pretty and crisp white tub tile..  Take a look!

Before... 1970's golden tile...

Partway around the tub-first coat of paint

Finished!  Nearly 3 coats of paint in most places

Just so you can compare- in all it's new crisp, clean glory :)

That's what we've been up to around here.  I"ll try and check back more with updates about how we've made updates and improvements.  It's a work in progress.  We've been moved in about a week and a half, and I already have curtains up (we installed faux wood blinds the night before we moved in)!  Yeah me <3

Birthday Cake

So, I decided that I was going to make myself this amazing pink ruffle cake for my birthday a while back.  I decided that it was awesome and I wanted to create my own birthday cake awesomeness.  

Now, I do not have any cake decorating background or any training.  Just a crazy idea to try my hand at decorating.  I had fun... and so did my little one- swiping the icing!!

I first saw the idea from this blog via Pinterest.  I love the way hers looks!

I found this great tutorial video that shows you how to make your own ruffles.  Get your decorating bag and flat decorator tip. ;)

So, without further adieu, here are pictures of my cake.... in all it's glory... or whatever. :)

Remember, don't mind the swipe marks- my little one must have thought the cake was amazing.  The little one wouldn't leave it alone. 

This is how it started.  A four layer strawberry cake.  I started with a foundation layer-dirty iced.

Here's where I have half the side done.  Hiding a few swipe marks on the far left :)

All done!

A view from the top

So, a whole afternoon devoted to this cake, two batches of strawberry cake, and two and a half batches of pink buttercream frosting... we have a ruffle cake!

Warning: It did taste much more "awesome" than it looked.

Wreath

Here's an update to this original post.  I had made a wreath for my sister's wedding shower, and I didn't have a picture.  Well... now I do!

Thanks, sis!

Here's the lovely wreath:

Have a great day!

Mystery Craft Revealed

Drum Roll Please.......

Here is the big reveal on the Mystery project I showed a sneak peak of the other day.

I made thread/bobbin holders.  I needed a place to hold my thread and wanted the bobbins to be able to fit on top so that I wouldn't lose them or mix them up.

Here are a few beginning pictures from the other day.  I started out measuring and marking my wood and making marks where I was going to drill my holes.  See my previous post for those pictures.

I then sanded down my 1/4 in dowel rods.  I had my hubby cut them at 4 inches in length.

I also had some ducks come and hang out on the back porch.  So make sure you have an audience if you are going to sand the dowel rods.  I sanded down the rough edges and rounded the ends that were going to be out holding the thread.

I then drilled the holes at 1/4 inch.

Here are the two boards that I made.  The one on the right has been sanded.  See?

I then gave them two coats of paint.  (I painted the back too).
I used ACE Hardware brand paint: Clark + Kensington.  I used the color cannon ball black.  I also got this paint for free one of the days they had the free paint Saturday.  :)

 

After the paint dried (I hate to watch paint dry!!) I the placed my dowel rods into the holes.  I drilled the holes at a bit of an angle so that when I hag it on the wall, my thread/bobbins won't slide off. I used a little bit of wood glue to help hold the dowels in place.  I also had the world's cutest helper.  He wanted to put the "sticks" into the holes.

"Helping" mommy

Here's a quick view again of the finished thread holder.  I glued some black ribbon to the back and added a cute pink bow to give it some color. 

Here's the cost run-down.
Wood... free
Tools...on hand
Dowels...$4
Glue...on hand
Paint... free (yeah, ACE hardware)
ribbon... on hand

So, this whole project cost my just $4, the cost of dowel rods.  I don't just have random dowel rods on hand.  Lots of other things... just not dowel rods.

Happy Crafting! :)

Mystery Project...

Here are a couple quick pictures of a mystery project I am working on.  Any guesses?  Leave a comment if you might have a guess as to what I am making.

I will show you the rest of the mystery project later as I finish it.  I'm excited, hopefully it turns out as I'm imagining!!

Happy crafting!!
Jenny

Bridal Shower

Here's a quick post showing you a bridal shower card I made as well as a "towel cake".

Since I didn't have any wedding dresses on ANY of my Cricut cartridges (gasp!, I know!!) I improvised.  I used two scallop circles in varying sizes from Alphalicious.  I folded the sides in to make the skirt and top.  Glued them together, added a ribbon, and then used the Floral Cuttlebug embossing folder with yellow vellum (choosing just one specific flower to emboss).  I used a brad to attach the "bouquet" to the dress and used pop dots to pop up the wedding dress.  I also debossed the black background with Fluer de Lis embossing folder.

I embossed the little flower design on the inside and added a gem as well.

And here is the towel cake.  I bought the towels from her registry and then folded them and tied them with ribbon.  I stacked them like tiers on a wedding cake.  So simple but awesome looking! :)

Sister's Birthday Frame

Since my sister recently got married (see previous posts for all the wonderful decorations) I made a gift using a wedding photo for her birthday just the other week.  I made another flowers and flourishes frame, actually this was my first one and the mother's day frames were the second go at it.

I used a wedding picture I took of their first dance, and then used my editing software to make the colors more sepia-like and "old looking" to fit her primitive country decor.  I used the same flower tutorials as in the previous post and created flowers to match her wedding decor colors, but also trying to stick the the "old country primitive look". :)  Did I get it right?

First Dance Picture Frame

 

Top right frame corner with flowers and rosette

Bottom right corner of frame-flourishes from Cricut Essentials

While I was trying new techniques, I also made a new cascade card.  Here is a great video tutorial I found: Cascade card with Frenchie.

Sorry for the poor pictures; I took them with my phone.  I realized I forgot to take a picture of it after I had sealed the card inside the envelope.  After my sister opened it I snatched it borrowed it for a minute and took a picture. :)

Card folded (and awful fuzzy picture)

Card "cascading" and opened.

Happy crafting!

Jenny

BBTB2 Design Team Challenge

Hello all!

Today I've got a special post... but first, I have to give a "warning" to two people. :)

If you are one of my mothers.... mom or mom-in-law...

STOP...

READING...

NOW...

Pretty Please!! :)  You don't want to ruin your mother's day gifts... do you now?

Ok, now on to the real post.

I am turning this post in to be considered for the BBTB2 Design Team (and also for the My Pink Stamper Mother's Day Challenge).

I made several things for my moms, a card and a picture frame.  I'll add my supply list at the end.

Two pictures frames I altered.  Frames are 5x7 from Hobby Lobby.

Altered frame for my mom-in-law.  The frame is a 5x7 and from Hobby Lobby.

Altered frame for my mom.  Same frame, but in black, 5x7 from Hobby Lobby.

Close up of flowers.  Red and cream flower (with red inking) flower tutorial here.  A different tutorial for the cream and blue flowers here.

More pretty flowers

Flowers and flourish

Frame and matching card for my mom-in-law.

Card close-up

Inside of card

Frame and matching card for my mom.

Front of card

Inside of card using extra "lined notebook" scrapbook paper.

All the creations and my outside Lighthouse :)  It lights up at night by a solar panel

.

Altered Frames
I cut the large red flowers using my Preserves Cricut cartridge and used the "shift" button to use the center of the apple cut in order to get the 5 petal flower.  I cut the large red "roses" at 2.5 inches.  I used the same technique for the cream roses and cut them at 1.75 inches.  I inked them with red ink.

For the "carnation-like" flowers I used two different punches. The larger cream carnation flower was cut with a 1.5 inch round circle punch.  I followed the technique in the video.  I did the same technique for the small blue and red carnations, but I used Martha Stewart's 1 inch scallop circle punch, it gives it the ruffly edges.

Behind the red roses are green flowers, and I cut them with the Cricut Essentials on my E2 machine.  They were cut at 2 inches.  I inked them with green ink.

The flourishes were cut from my E2 as well with the Cricut Essentials as well.  (My new favorite flourish!) They were cut at 3 inches.

The large capital H was cut at 4.5 inches from Stone Script.  And the lowercase h was ct at 4.5 inches from Cricut American Alphabet. 

Cards
I cut the base of this card to make a 4.25 x 5.5 inch card.  I used the extra paper from the backgrounds of both frames. I again used the rose flower technique cut at 1.75 inches for both flowers.  I used some kraft paper to make the banner and used some brads and buttons from my stash.   I used the EK Success punch Scroll and Dots for the punch. I also used the Martha Stewart 1" Scallop Square Punch to make the ends of the banners.
The letter "m" for the words mom I used the Stone Script and Cricut American Alphabet cartridges again, for the corresponding cards.  I cut the letters about 2".

Here are the supplies I used:

Frames: Hobby Lobby 5x7

Cardstock: AC Cardstock and scraps from my stash

Patterned Paper: The Paper Studio Open Stock from Hobby Lobby

Ink: Red ink (G Studio), Brown ink (Stayz On), Green (G Studio)

Punches: Martha Stewart Scallop Circle Punch, Fiskars 1" Round Circle Punch, Martha Stewart 1: Scallop Square Punch, EK Success Scallop and Dot Punch

Cricut Cartridges: Stone Script, E2 Cricut Essentials, E2 Cricut American Alphabet, Preserves

Thanks for stopping by!

P.S.  I have had that super cute lighthouse for nearly 7 years.  It has moved all over with us.  My awesome parents found it at Walmart right after I first got married. (:

Wedding Table Decorations

Hello, Hello!!

I had told you before about my sister's wedding a few weeks ago, gorgeous!! Here are some great pictures of the tables we decorated (all pictures were taken by her great photographer Kevin Lush).

We used pictures from my sister's engagement pictures.  We used a different picture for each table.  The "head" table (or sweetheart table) for the bride and groom had pictures of my sister's two cute dogs!

Head Sweetheart table

Here's some of the other tables...

 

Here's a closeup (in case you aren't' tired of pink and green yet) ...

We rented the flat bowls from a local party store.  Me put clear and green rocks at the bottom of each bowl.  We filled the bowls with water and floated pink rose candles on top.  Except, the candles we cut off the wicks and glued on a pearl in the center of each one.  Beautiful!! We also tied green tulle around the bottoms of the bowls and tied a knot leaving a small tail.  The bowls sat on a square mirror.

For the table numbers I cut out the pink square topnote from the Cricut basics font on Cricut Craft Room.  I cut it out at 8 inches.  We framed each picture in green paper (all paper was from hobby lobby and was textured)

I cut the numbers from the Alphalicious cartridge about 2.5 inches, and then added a cream colored shadow to make them stand out a bit more.  We put the same picture/number on each side so you could see it from all sides of the room.

For the entrance to the reception we made a big HUGE table seating board.  We bought a big foam board at hobby lobby and covered it with pink fabric. We printed the names in ABC order and gave the table number next to their last name.  We framed the names in green and attached them with upholstery tacks. Great hammered silver finish.

Last but not least (should have started with food) are the favors.  We bought little pillow box sets from Wilton (it totally wasn't worth cutting a hundred of these with the cricut). We printed her new last initial on the stickers and wrapped them up.

Oh, yeah... inside are those amazing little butter mints!  Jumbo size! even better....

Happy crafting!

Jenny