Super Heroes

As you all know we're on week number 2 of our grandson's visit. As he tells anyone that asks his age, he's still free. All of a sudden he's into super heroes, and all of his underwear reflect this. Just ask him and he'll show you.

I've been making super capes for several years for friends and family members children and grandchildren, and this week decided it was time to make MonkeyMoo his very own. I had cut one out for him and had it ready to sew up, but he's grown too big for it, so I had to enlarge my pattern. I want to emphasize to him that he be himself, so instead of the Superman or Batman Logo, I used my Cricut to cut an S and A for Super Alex. I appliqued and then lined it so there are no exposed edges. I used Velcro as a fastener, so that he can fasten it around his neck himself, and I don't have to worry about his choking if it gets caught in something.

Today he said he needed a mask, so right before lunch we went out to TM, and I used some scraps and quickly cut out a mask shape with holes. I've got to do a better one, but it works for now. For some reason he decided the whole outfit needed the Cabella's hat(don't call it a baseball cap, whatever you do). I think he's making a fashion statement with those cowboy boots, don't you?

Clean and Simple

That's the challenge this week on the Phindy's Place Challenge Blog, and may I just say they were music to my ears. I still have the 3 1/2 year old grandson here and on Sunday, we went to Birmingham and picked up our oldest daughter and our 16 year old grandaughter for a visit. It's hard to find crafting time with so many people here, and one of them needing constant supervision. However, I am enjoying their visit and life through the eyes of a 3 1/2 year old is so much fun.

Life doesn't get much simpler than sitting on a creek bank watching a cork bob waiting for a fish to bite, so this Summer Cutie called Catch Anything had to be my image. Isn't he the cutest thing with that big straw hat? Be sure to check him and the other selection of Summer Cuties at the Phindy's Place Store. I colored him with my Copics and cut the image out with my Spellbinders. The background paper was a scrap I had from the October Afternoon Spring Collection. I absolutely love this paper. The sentiment was one I created myself in Word Art, and I free handed cut the fish out around the sentiment.

Glad you stopped by and don't forget, I love hearing from you.

Thinking of You

This weeks challenge at Sassy Cheryl's Challenge blog was two fold. The first part was to create a Thinking of You card, which I have to say was the easier part of the challenge. The second part was to decide if Cheryl really knows her Design Team like she thinks she does. Cheryl had to take the DT Cards and decide who created them. Our part of the challenge was to say if we thought she was right or not. I had a third challenge, and that was to create a card while entertaining my 3 year old grandson, MonkeyMoo.

My DH took MM(MonkeyMoo) to look for deer in the truck to give me some crafting time alone. I got the card part done using a Sketch from this week's Sketch Saturday Challenge. Papers are from The Paper Studio. This cute little boy hugging his teddy bear is called Love's Healing Hands, and you can find him and many more wonderful images at Sassy Cheryl's Store. Doesn't he look like he's hugging that bear because he's missing someone? I can't help but hope that MonkeyMoo doesn't get to missing his parents so much, that he's got his stuffed monkey John squeezed up this tight. He's still got a week left on his visit. The sentiment was saved in my computer as MM Designs, but for the life of me, I can't find a link to the site. At any rate it was the perfect sentiment.

As for whether Cheryl is right or not, I'm going to have to vote yes. I wish I had time to print them all off to study them, but not only do I have a 3 year old to entertain, but I also have my older daughter and my 16 year old grandaughter flying in today to spend the week. I'm just thankful I found time to be creative and play in the challenge.

Thanks for stopping by and I love hearing from you.

A Sewing Challenge

This week at Phindy's Place Challenge Blog, the challenge was to use sewing on your card. It could be either real stitching or faux. No question here for me as my real is far superior to my faux. I've been sewing most of my life, so love the concept of combining stitching with my card making.

I used the sketch from Papertake Weekly Challenge #45 for my starting point., then it was on for a search for papers. I loved these papers from October Afternoon's Spring release. I thought the stitched look to the paper, especially the Cathedral Quilt pattern would be perfect with sewing. I used my machine to straight stitch around the bottom layer, but decided I wanted to do something a bit different on the top layer. I used my wing needle to punch bigger holes and then sewed a chain stitch on either side. I didn't pick an image until I had decided on paper and sketch, and of course with this quilting theme going, what better than Not So Hot. Everyone knows that when you're not feeling well, bundling up in a cozy quilt is just the ticket. I colored him up with my Copics and tried to use all the colors that were in the "quilts". You can find him at Phindy's store along with some other images, you really don't want to do without. I added some flowers and the sentiment that's from Rainbow Echo. I'll be hanging on to this card for when I need to send out a Get Well card to someone.


Thanks for stopping by, and I love hearing from you.

Carrying on a Tradition with a Little Lagniappe

During WWII my mother worked for Knickerbockers Garment Plant in West Point, Mississippi sewing uniforms for soldiers. I can't remember a time in my life that she didn't sew on something, but her very favorite thing was making quilts. There is no way I could come up with how many she made over the course of her lifetime, and how most of those were given away. One of her favorite things to make for new babies were oversized doubled flannel blankets. I think she thought the receiving blankets you buy at a store were a joke, since they would barely wrap around a newborn. Her blankets were at least 44" x 44". Once she was no longer able to see well enough to sew, I took up the torch. I've continued the tradition by making these blankets for my friends' grandchildren, but I've done that little bit extra(lagniappe), by crocheting a border around them. The great things about these blankets is that they'll still cover a child that's 4 or 5, and they're perfect to throw down on the floor for a quick pallet.

Here are the blankets I made for my newest great niece. The pink one is spread on a queen sized bed, so you can see the size of them. You can see one of my Mom's quilts on the bed underneath the blanket. Before I left for Phoenix, I got the blankets sewn and turned. While I was in Phoenix and on the way home, I was able to get the one blanket finished and over 3/4's of the second one. I finished it this afternoon, and got them washed and dried and ready to be wrapped and delivered.

Here's a close up of the crocheted edging on the blankets.

Thanks for letting me share a memory with you.

Home Again Home Again Jiggety Jig

I've been in Phoenix or rather Anthem, AZ since last Wednesday. I flew out to bring my grandson(3 1/2 going on 35) home for a two week visit. This isn't the first time. His parents have generously shared him with us and our DD, said it was very important to her that he know his Mississippi family. I've been unable to craft on any cards, but I have succeeded in getting the edges of one baby blanket crocheted all the way around. I'm hoping I can make a good start on getting the second one done on the flight home tomorrow.

I have to say I'm more than ready to get home and back in TM. I am definitely having carding withdrawal system. I missed out on two of my favorite challenges last week and I need to get back with the program. I think MM(MonkeyMoo) is going to be my able assistant. He loves paper, and he's already a whiz at stamping. Of course, he has a list of things that he has to do besides crafting. Some of these are the things he's been doing every trip since he was 3 months old and include driving(promoted from just riding he can now steer) the tractor, riding a horse, going on a boat ride and maybe to the river and swimming, just to name a few.

I have some OWH cards that I made before I left on this trip, but I'm going to share those with you on another day. I just fell the need to check in.

Halloween is Hoppin' at Tiddily Inks

Tiddily Inks is throwing a blog hop today to celebrate Halloween in July. Yes I know, you're used to Christmas in July, but hey everyone knows Halloween comes before July. The Blog Hop officially starts at 6 PM CST, and you can link to all participants from the Tiddly Inks Challenge Blogspot. After you check out all the fantastic cards on the tour, I know you're going to want to go shopping for some Tiddly Inks images at the Store.

I grew up in a small town and was one of 5 siblings. I can still remember the joy of Halloween and Trick or Treating. We didn't have money for costumes, so our costumes were whatever we could make with what we had readily available, much like this sweet little image from Tiddly Inks called CandyAvenger. All it takes is a mask from the dime store(that's right I said dime store and the prequel to dollar stores) and a towel for a cape and you're a superhero. I remember going to the door of a house and knocking, and yelling Trick or Treat when the door opened. I wanted to reconstruct that memory, so I built a house using my Cricut to make my shingles, window frames, curtains, door facings and my Halloween decorations. I cut strips of yellow to do the lapped siding of the house. Then I finished it off with my little sweetie heading up to the door looking forward to another sweet treat.


I'm into 3 dimensional cards lately, so besides Candy Avenger being cut out and raised, the columns and porch floor are raised with foam sticky and the porch roof has three layers of the foam sticky backing.


Now be sure to head back to the Challenge Blog and visit the next link on the list. And join us on the Tiddly Inks Digitals Page on PCP for the party later tonight.


Happy Halloween in July !