Valentine's Swap

Saturday
January 31, 2009

I am so EXCITED about this Valentine Swap for A Year of Color blog. I have been busy working on my gifts and can't wait to show everybody! I will be sending my package out on Monday to Sara. Once she gets it I can post my pics. I am also looking forward to seeing what everyone else put together for their swaps. Here is a sneak peak. ;-)

My First Crocheted Hat

I LOVE my best girlie girl, Somer Jane! She really likes hats. Christmas before last I crocheted her a scarf. This year I was determined I was going to figure out how to crochet a hat. I decided to sit with my dear husband while he watched football and play around with it until I figured out how to do it. I had a bare bones idea of how to start and had to figure it out from there. She likes it which makes both of us happy! ;-)

Mosaic Pot

This is a pot I made twelve years ago. The tiles were several discontinued patterns from a Spa and Pool store that I got for FREE. I made the mistake of planting a plant directly in the pot instead of placing another pot inside it. Which is what caused the cracks and discoloration in some spots of the grout. Since The Year of Color blog this month is concentrating on the color blue I thought I would take it down from it's prominent spot on top of my kitchen cabinets and take it's picture to share on the blog. I'm very proud of this pot because it's from my beginning days of crafting.

New Card and necklace

One of my favorite blogs is http://www.oneprettything.com/ If you haven't seen it I encourage you to check it out. Posted there you will find DIY projects and tutorials from around the blogosphere. Everyday I find at least one project I like and want to try. Today I saw a tutorial on making jewelry from recycled magazines. http://www.craftstylish.com/item/39212/how-to-recycle-magazines-into-jewelry I had to try it. Here is my finished project.

This is my latest card. I have been making cards to give to my friends for Christmas. I know...I know...Christmas has come and gone. I wanted to use my Cricut I got on Christmas Day. So I got a late start. I think this card so far has become my favorite.

Year of Color inspired candle

I joined A Year Of Color blog. It's purpose is to focus on different colors each month. During the month there will be crafting tutorials, party and decor ideas, photography, and journaling prompts. I can't wait to see art through the eyes of others from our group. Today's craft was to decorate the outside of a tall candle. Our colors this month are blue and white. I have been working on this glitter snowflake for a couple days with the intention of placing it on a card. When I saw this craft I knew it would be better suited for the candle. I LOVE glitter!

Great give away from Red Hen Studios

A generous lady from Red Hen Studios is having a WONDERFUL give away. Visit her blog http://redhenstudios.blogspot.com for more details. She also has a store where you can purchase some of her great items. http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5015260

New Bracelets

I LOVE beads! My husband gave me a big tackle box one year for Christmas to store them in. Here are some of my new bracelets I just made and a picture of my favorite...the last one.

Our Christmas Tree and ornaments

Christmas is my FAVORITE holiday!! :-) Several years ago I started a tradition in our house to make at least one homemade ornament for the tree. This is a tradition that my stepdaughter, Mercedes and I have immensely enjoyed doing together for several years. Meara is now old enough to enjoy this tradition too. She and I made several ornaments this year. One we made strickly as give aways and the other we placed on the tree. I also have a thing for santa ornaments and my favorite color for the tree is red. As a matter of fact our tree has become a sea of red. We have collected elves for the tree and really like our ladders they climb on to hang the christmas lights.

There are ladders that go sideways and up from the bottom on the left and broken into three segments on the right side with elves climbing on them stringing lights. At the bottom is Mickey's Ski Slope which we all LOVE to watch Mickey and his pals climb and slide down around the tree.

This is one of the ornaments Meara and I made together this year.

This is one of my favorites that we've made. I LOVE red, buttons and ribbon!!!! :-)

A close up of the giant candy canes

Snowflakes

Meara(my 4-year-old) and I made these beaded pipe cleaner snowflakes together. We hung them from the ceiling with fishing wire with white pom poms threaded on them. It was fun watching her excitement over making these. She has inherited my LOVE for crafts.