i pinned this about 6 months ago, originally from ohcrafts.net. so i’ve been psyched to do it for a while, and tiz the season now. i grabbed my trusty heart hole punch and some paint chips from my stash (yes, all of us crafty mom bloggers have paint chip stashes. we’re a weird breed.)

i punched away until there were hearts of many rainbowy colors.

even just this heart confetti is splendid to look at and to play with!

the little one had fun using the punched out paint chips as stencils.

cute as they were on their own, i still took it to the sewing machine and fed each one through while keeping a fairly steady, slow pace with the needle. it was easier than i thought, and the machine was forgiving if i had a few stitches in between each heart. for me, that was an experiment, as i am still learning how to sew.

stitched together

i heart this!

then i got heart-happy and stitched a few more hearts to some colorful paper. i think i’ll add these to some valentine’s day cards soon!

this garland looks festive in our kitchen right now, but notice that hearts are top heavy… expect some twists and turns, or maybe opt for sewing them up double-sided.

this also might make a cute addition to our february mantel, which i’ll share when the time comes (after birthday season!)

strung along

this time last year, i wrote a post about how the face and pace of this blog would be changing shape in 2011 and majorly s-l-o-w-i-n-g down. in january, it really looked like it would. then february hit, and it. did. not. happen. i continued to blog my fingers off all year long. and here i am, january 2012, with a similar resolution as last january.

my intentions this year involve devoting much more psychic energy and mind space to building my art therapy practice (and chasing the ever-elusive california LPCC by jumping through multiple hoops called three insane standardized tests. shudder.) that means that i reeally reeeally do need to treat this blogging addiction hobby of mine like what it has always been — a fun outlet. not a career, not a source of income, nor a book i plan to write someday. no stress. no pressure. no deadline. just the rainbowy icing on top – it’s a super delicious treat! so i’m needing to breathe space into the new year, and just let this blog evolve and grow naturally into what my life is becoming.

new years day

don’t get me wrong. i will be CREATING, ALWAYS. i will be MAKING ART WITH MY DAUGHTER, CONSTANTLY. these are also priorities in 2012. i will also be blogging about these on occasion. though, in all honestly, more of my own creations will likely show up on this blog than hers. with the onset of 5 mornings per week of kindergarten this past fall, N’s artistic time at home has been more focused on her true love: drawing drawing drawing for a couple hours each afternoon. and while “look at what my kid drew today! and today! and today!” makes for a nice blog for the grandparents (which is how this whole blog thing started way back in tha day) but, admit it – it’d be sorta boring for all of you wonderfully creative readers. seeing as i’m way too pinspired not to make homemaking creative and meaningful, i’ll share an early january creation with you all…

i wrapped a straw wreath from michael’s (super cheap and on sale) with yarn i already had at home (on new years eve. yep, i’m wild and crazy! but in my defense, my house was plagued by a stomach bug over new years so i didn’t have much choice.) N even helped to spiral up these lovely felt flowers (much like the ones we made for our autumn wreath.)

my poor baby has some dry winter hands right now

we hung it on the window pane we scored at that salvage yard last fall.

yay for yarn-bombing! doesn’t that wreath look cozy and warm? (it should – it’s about 70 degrees *outside* over here!) we dolled up the mantel with a few other warmy wintery friends.

and miscellaneous sidewalk finds and random objects from the back corners of cabinets.

N calls it “the winter circus” and says it’s her favorite mantel yet… AND she wants to be “totally in charge of” our spring mantel… so stay tuned for that! in the meantime, i will see you back here every so often. let’s just see if i can hold to my resolution to reprioritize where and how i express myself and allocate my energy… and maybe there will be a new year’s miracle that gives me the strength to step away from this pretty, colorful, friendly, flickering, alluring screen on some evenings… just maybe.

happy winter! happy 2012!

i first saw this idea on the artful parent back in september, courtesy of five green acres (who provides a great tutorial.) i dog-eared it (digitally, of course) as an idea for the holiday season. in november, i got out a stash of fat quarters in all sorts of patterns, and began cutting away!

whatcha need:

• scraps of fabric, each cut to  5 1/2″ x 15″  (one scrap of this size makes 5 weights)
• thread
• sewing machine
• filler material: dried rice, beans, etc. (i used organic split peas, you know, incase the littlest ones put them in their mouths.)

reprinted here for your convenience, the directions in the words of five green acres (in plum), peppered with my photos and my words (in black):

1. Fold the fabric in half the long way, right sides together.  Your piece is roughly now 2 1/2″ by 15.”  Sew each of the 3 open sides closed with a 1/4″ seam allowance.

the bean bag factory in effect!

2. Cut into 5 equal pieces by measuring every 3.” Each piece will be roughly 2 1/2 by 3.”

3.  The first and last piece will already be sewn shut on one end.  Set aside and sew the remaining 3 pieces shut on one end also.

then came the most exciting part of this for me — choosing sets of 5 to be packaged together for which child. i *love* coordinating and playing with colors and patterns! it was a fun process, but photographed very dark because i did it at night. i have to share anyway.

4.  Turn right side out and fill with the rice, beans, etc.

5.  Fold the open ends inside 1/4″ and pin the seam closed, making sure that the seam runs perpendicular to the bottom seam.  You’re not trying to make a rectangular pillow, but rather a sort of pyramid that’s easier to grab… (it turns out like a samosa! love that!)

pinned up

6.  Sew shut, either by hand or by machine.  If you go the machine route, you might have to remove some of the filling to fit it under your presser foot flatly.

too cute!

then comes the packaging! i stamped a slew of cloth bags with a fun dandelion and the word “PLAY” for each set of bean bags to live in.

i printed out little inserts that read:

a few games kids can play with bean bags:

• hot potato
• toss them back and forth while singing a song or rhyme
• throw bean bag in the air & see what you can do before you catch it (clap your hands, turn around, kneel down…)
• toss the bean bags into a bowl or box to see how many “baskets” you can make
• set up hoops or targets for aim
• bean bag “bowling” (set up paper towel rolls or milk jugs)
• learn to juggle
• a child’s imagination will make them into so many things!

*fyi: they’re filled with organic split peas. enjoy!!!

we attached a gift tag and a salt dough ornament to each one, and sent them on their way to the homes of many of our little friends.

much like we did when making N’s lavender dream pillow in the summer of 2010, we used lavender from our backyard, poly-fill, linen squares left over from all of the flag making we do over here, thread, and stamps we already had on hand. first we cut rectangles or squares of the linen to match in size, and frayed the edges. then N and i went to town stamping one side of each pair.

yep, we put a bird on it. (our stamp collection is heavily avian, oddly.)

sewed them up on 3.5 sides… (gosh, this is all probably self-explanatory.)

filled them with poly-fill and a few teaspoons of lavender…

finished sewing up the opening -

i attached a cute little note with baker’s twine and sent them on their way… into the bureaus of those near and dear.

hope your holidays were relaxing… and if they weren’t, take a whiff of lavender and chilllll into the new year!

such a simple idea – saw it on pinterest, of course. all you need is:

• flannel (or another soft, natural fiber. synthetics can burn when microwaved!)
• thread
• rice
• a funnel would make life easier
• gift tag & ribbon

first, fold your fabric in half, and then in half again. cut some heart shapes on the edge — two at a time (so you have a pair that is the same size.)

match them up, and sew them together. (um, it is not that easy to sew curves, if you’re green like me, but i am patting myself on the back for giving it a go.) i left about a 1/4″ edge around them, and left a tiny pocket open so i could fill them.

i used a little funnel (that came with my spice rack) to pour white rice inside. then i sewed that little part up with the machine.

voila – super cute! (and visibly handmade… hey, it adds charm, right?)

then just find a pretty ribbon to attach a note with instructions that say to microwave them for 2 minutes (or under, if tiny) and put one in each pocket. i gifted these to some of my girlfriends who live in pretty cold climates.

also a fun gift for your sweetie or friends on valentine’s day!