March Break

Since discovering computers my son hasn't been interested in crafts with me. When school is on I limit his computer time to and hour a day. Which if you have kids you know is actually a lot of time when you factor in school, homework, meals, tidy up, showers or baths and bed time. His favourite game is Minecraft, he purchased the game with his birthday money last summer. It's very cute. He has a friend over or Facetimes a friend on his iPod and the two "play" together digitally. It being march break I have allowed him the whole day, it is after all his break and he is still playing with a friend and since the weather isn't good I don't mind him spending so much time on the computer other than I miss him and his artistic contributions . . . I'm guessing this is the beginning of my son growing up and my having to learn to let him go a little.


I started the week with restoring a children's rocker my FIL fond in the garbage. It needed a good cleaning, a sanding another cleaning with a damp rag, glued and clamped then oiled. It's a lovely little rocker. There was some discussion on painting it but I like the natural wood.

While restoring the chair in between drying and oiling the girls and I embarked on a painting fiasco. A simple paint by numbers . . . with missing numbers which disturbed my 6 year old. She had some very strong opinions on this and suggested we contact the makers of this product because "they should know better than to sell a children's product with the numbers all wrong". Not only were the numbers messed up the paint was dry and crumbly, I tried to water it down but it turned into a gunky mess which encrusted itself to my table and craft cups. So we used crayola paint and it worked out okay.

Once done we added them to the art our new (as of 2013) art wall.

Potters apron

How cute is this apron and not at all girly IMHO. There is a slit down the middle so his pants remain covered while potting. This was so ease to make, it's simply three rectangles. . . Two for his legs and one for around his waist. Sew it all together and done.

I made an apron like this for myself as well and even got to try it out. I wasn't going to post a photo of what I had made cause I was going to surprise a knitter friend of mine (http://spinnerknits.blogspot.ca/) with one but it turns out she has one she got for her mom . . . So I guess I can share it here. Here are some yarn bowls I made, I really enjoy making these, of course I love sitting at my wheel but even the carving and matching the cuts to compliment the shape of the pot is fun. . . I think I did okay. I already have a few folks wanting to buy! Sure hope I don't mess them up when I glaze them lol

Here I am.

I did not think it had been a year since I wrote my last post hahaha well here I am . . . again . . . and I have stuff and time to share!

I'll start with today

I made aprons for my girls, I didn't think it through, I just kind of started with a notion and some fabric that I recycled from an old pappasan chair cover. I didn't follow the traditional order of sewing, honestlty I just layed out the fabric and started cutting. First I cut my fabric into two rectangles, I knew I'd be making two (one for each of my girls). On one end of the shorter sides of the rectangle I cut the corners off, the other end I rounded the corners and had planned on just hemming the whole things, then I cut a bunch of 1.5 inche strips from some pretty pink fabric that I thought would make some great ties and started pinning. While digging through my fabric stash looking for the pink I found a pocket that used to belong to a pair of my husbands jeans; right there and then I decided theses aprons needed a pocket, I used the old jeans pocket as a pattern, pink of course. My mind started to flood with possibilities . . . ruffles . . . Heart . . . Maybe some ribbon. . . My head was spinning! so I had to take a step back and got out my pencil and markers and drew what came to me. I started to sew again and tried the heart pocket you see in the photo but it looked to girly girl with the ruffle and once i cut my rounded corners i was already committed to the ruffles. . . I love green & blue or pink & green so the obvious choice was green for the stitching. I used to try to do perfect stitching but over time I realized how rusticly adorable the haphazard lines look (and were much faster in getting my project done)

While sewing today I broke my Phaff :( not a big break I guess more of an injury which I'm sure for a price can be fixed . . . . The lil itty bitty teeny tiny hook that threads my needle is no longer there in the photo it should be where the tiny pink dot is . . . Ok so I guess it is comparable to a pin prick lol it was still pretty upsetting! I had to do all my threading the old fashioned way! my Phaff is no longer perfect :(

The aprons were a big hit! both girls wore them all evening and served me pretend burgers and soup from their pretend kitchen . . . As you can see from the finished product there's a ribbon flower on it which wasn't well receiver so was instantly removed. Both girls tried to sleep in them tonight but I just wasn't comfortable with the cords around their necks so we stuffed them in their pillow case so they'd stay safe but close enough to be considered sleeping with.


Tomorrow I might try to make a potters apron for both my son and I as he has taken an interest in potting. I'm both excited and proud and a little worried I'll lose my wheel to him lol


I feel like I have to mention this is the first time I'm posting from my iPad, I'm not at all competent with this thing and there's a pain in the butt auto correct . . . Oh and I can't figure out how to add the photos where I want them or to size them and lol it'll be a surprise where they turn up lol

Cheers.

Where has time gone!?!

The good thing about the internet is that it never goes away. It's been here this whole time just waiting for me to have time to come back; and look; here I am!!! Has it really been this long!?! Unfortunatly I'm at work and my lunch hour is near up so it'll have to be longer before I post anything good. I have honest hope to try to get back to this soon because even tho I was too shy to tell many people I keept a blog it was still kind of fun for me!!!

Quick update tho, Since my last entry I have discovered some new craft I enjoy!! quilting, quilling oh and my husband built me a pottery studio in our basement!! AND best of all my children are older and so much more fun to play craft time with!!! I've also done a couple workshops our towns highschool and grade school!! So there's lots to talk about!!

hope to be back soon
:)

please ignor my type o's no time to fix!!!

Has any one seen my mind, I seemed to have lost it.

The other day I put the baby's dinner in the cupboard to warm it up (ya you read that right). Of course I then had to laugh at my self and said out loud to no one "I need sleep cause I’m losing my mind"

Today I found the craft cupboard open and asked who left it that way. My 5 year old laughed an amused little chuckle and said "you did mom, don't you remember you're losing your mind?" then as he walked away I heard him mumble under his breath "poor mummy is so tired she can’t even remember she’s losing her mind”

Gosh I can’t believe it!

The baby got her first tooth yesterday!!! This is such a weird feeling me! As a mom I have always been eager and excited to watch the kids grow up so I can see what’s next, what will be the next fun milestone we’ll get to witness!!! But, with this little one it’s so different I just want it to all stop and I want every stage to last longer that it should! I want to savor it all, every moment of it . . . I’m not sad just . . . well maybe sad LOL though not sad for her, I’m happy for her! It’s fun growing up (for her) but for me I can’t help but think with a heavy heart “this is our last first tooth” With this first tooth I feel like she’s officially no longer a new born . . . even though she’s not yet 6 months old she’s now a "baby". My sweet lil baby who won’t stop growing up in spite of what here mama's heart wants.

some days I feel like super mom and others . . . .

Two of my kids had doctor appointments this afternoon so I pack the three monkeys up and away we went. I felt so prepared for what ever mood they were in, I had a good rest before we left, I packed games and markers and paper and snacks. . . I really felt ready. Unfortunately even my preparedness was no match for an over 2 hour wait. Why do doctors always over book and make moms like me wait. I hate situations like this! Out in public, people listening (judging me) the kids know I won't use my angry voice in public so of course they take full advantage of the situation. I tried to compensate with "the look" but it does no good with out “the voice”! They know they've got me and they are not afraid to go wild; and this afternoon that is exactly what they did!!!

When they brought us into the exam room my two year old and four year old lost every bit of discipline and manners they've ever been taught. We waited in there for ten-ish or more minutes and in that short time my son (age 4) stole a pap smear swab and used it as a sward against his little sister, my daughter (age 2) broke the doctors computer. They both rummaged through all the drawers asking what everything was (how do explain those pap forceps to children??) stealing band-aids and gloves and tape measures. They stamped the examining table, the chairs, walls themselves and each other with the doctors signature stamps . . . the baby (3 months) pooped all over herself (and me). When i wasn't trying to clean up pooh I was feeding her. So all I could do about the wild monkeys was try to remain calm, remind them of how we behave, ask them to listen, and tell them over and over in the most calm voice to stop what they were doing. I was at their mercy! In the calmest voice I could muster and the angriest "I mean business" look I could produce. I near begged them to behave and neither were accommodating their dear mama.

When the doctor arrived she wasn’t in a good mood, utterly un-amused by my children’s antics. Her cold, impatient and unforgiving manner made me feel worse.

By the time we got back to the car I was so exhausted and frustrated, the monkey’s of course got a stern talking too about respecting other peoples belongings and what is appropriate behavior at the doctors office, then quietly I had myself a good cry. Now that I have had a time to calm down and reflect, I can’t help but laugh my butt offf!! MY SON STOLE A PAPSMEAR SWAB AND IS USING IT AS A SWARD!!!!!