Christmas Idea

I'm the type of person who mulls over what to make family (and friends) for Christmas. I think about this for MONTHS before I actually decide on what to do.  I do like to make useful items rather than decorative things that will only be used once a year, however; this year I came upon an idea that could be both useful and decorative--hanging dish towels with matching pot holders! Now we all know that you can NEVER have too many kitchen towels or pot holders, so I think these will be wonderful gifts! And I can make them in either Christmas, kitchen, or novelty fabrics.

Creative Contest

Oh my have I been remiss on blogging!! Shame on me! I wish I could say it was because I've been SO busy filling orders, but alas that is not the case :( As a matter of fact, this is the slowest season I've had since my first year selling online. I'm not sure whether it's the economy or if I need to revamp my Sassy store.

I think after the New Year, I may try a little revamping and see what happens. Maybe more aprons for little girls (other than my art aprons). Maybe I'll even try my hand at making baby booties. I think I also might need to make more items for older children since other than my art aprons and monster dolls, most of my items are for babies and toddlers.

That being said, I have decided to have a little contest. Let's see how creative you can be! Here's how it'll work. You give me an idea of what new item(s) I can make and carry in my Sassy store and if I like the idea(s) enough, I'll make the item and give you the first one! Who knows--if I like several of the ideas, there could either be several winners or you can win more than one item! Sound like fun? Just post each idea separately (so I don't get confused or miss any ideas in the shuffle). I'll choose a winner(s) on Dec. 17th. That gives you a little over a week to come up with some ideas. So--get your thinking caps on moms and let 'er rip!

Schoolhouse Designs

After much debating for months, I've finally done it. I've taken the plunge. I've opened up a second etsy store. I decided to do this because after opening stores on Zibbet, Artfire, Craft is Art, and Bonanza--nothing was moving. At all. so, I closed all but the  Bonanza store and decided to just stick with etsy and eCrater (where I sell everything from books, to craft supplies, to handmade items). I wanted to get back into making bags, purses, totes, wallets, and the like but wanted to keep them separate from my Sassy store since that is more focused on baby and children's items.  So, I opened the new store and called it Schoolhouse Designs (3). I had to add the 3 since there was already a Schoolhouse Designs and Schoolhouse Designs 2. So far I only have iPad cases and a couple of purses but I'll be stocking it gradually. I also would like to make Kindle cases, wallets, etc. So please, check it out and let me know what other items you'd like to see there! Schoolhouse Designs

Modge Podge Caddy

 I found this plastic caddy on clearance for $2 at a local department store and thought to myself, "What a perfect way to keep all my scissors, fabric markers, etc. handy and within reach on my cutting table!". So, I bought it. After bringing it home and looking at it, I thought it was a bit boring looking so I decided to spruce it up a bit. Well, I have PLENTY of scrapbook paper so I found some I liked and walla! here is my new cutting table caddy! If you'd like to make one of your own, here's how:

 First, gather your supplies. All you need is your caddy of course, scissors, a paint brush, paper, Modge Podge, and trim if you'd like to use that.

Begin by laying your caddy onto your paper with the bottom even with the bottom edge of your paper, and while rolling it, trace the shape of the top of your caddy in pencil.

Cut along the pencil mark you just made.

 Apply a thin layer of Modge Podge all the way around your caddy using your brush.

If your caddy is uneven shaped at the top like this one, start at the front and carefully wrap your paper around it making sure you smooth it as you go. If your caddy is even around the top, you can start in the back and work your way around it. When you are finished, apply two to three coats of Modge Podge, letting it dry between coats. When last coat of Modge Podge is completely dry, apply your trim. I used braided trim and applied it with a hot glue gun. You can use Modge Podge if using paper trim, but if using any other trim, I would suggest using glue to apply it.

Now, put whatever you'd like in your caddy and enjoy! These would work well anywhere: home, office, school, craft room, etc. They would also make great, inexpensive gifts if you're on a budge.

'Tis the Season

I know for some it's a little too early to be thinking about Christmas yet, but for we sellers and crafters, this is the time of year when we need to get our holiday items made and listed in our stores. I usually don't make a lot of Christmas items since I have never had much luck in selling them, but I think it was due to the fact that I listed them too late in the year (in November). So this year I decided to get a head start to see if I could perhaps make some holiday sales.

  To start off with, I have made some adorable (if I do say so myself) stockings that are made to resemble pajama bottoms--complete with a button flap pocket on the back! I think these would make unique first stockings for baby--as well as for children.  I have made some in baby flannel fabrics and will make others in traditional Christmas fabrics as well. I have already listed a few in my Lil' Bit Sassy store and some in my Lil' Bit of This 'n That store. I will be working on more this coming week and get those listed.

Those are just items I'll be selling. Now for some items you might also find great for Christmas. Comyc Gyrl has lots of cute items in her eCrater shop. Brooches and pins, ornaments, cards, decorations, kitchen items and more--so be sure to check out all her goodies! 

 Another great store to check out for Christmas goodies is Your What Not Shop  also on eCrater. You will find tins, ornaments, home decor and more in her Christmas section. 

Belle's Block Part 2

Some time ago I had written a post about the memorial block I had made for one of my nieces. After I had sent a picture of it to my mom and two nieces, they each wanted one for themselves. I decided rather than doing blocks (because they are a bit big and would be hung from a rearview mirror) I would try to find another way to make them. Today I finally got around to working on them!

These were made for my mom, oldest niece, and her youngest sister. The first one is for my mom--it's my niece Amy holding Belle when she was born, and my mom who was present at her birth. The second is my oldest niece Mandy (Amy's older sister) holding Belle the day she was born. The third is my niece Angie (Amy's younger sister) taking a little nap with Belle on Christmas Eve of 2000 (Belle passed away the following March). I thought these would mean a bit more than just a picture of Belle herself. I put her name and dates on the backs.

These were made using printable fabric (that I made myself), background fabrics, ribbon, and stiff, heavy Pellon interfacing. Making the printing fabric and printing the pictures took the longest. I think they were well worth the effort tho. I decided not to tell my mom or nieces I finally got them made--I'm just going to send them and surprise them!

Help Needed with New Item

I have been thinking for quite some time that I should make laptop sleeves and totes. What I decided today was to make and sell them in sets. Since laptops come in all sizes now, I had no idea how big I should make them. Enter my Twitter friends! Thanks to their help and advice I have decided to make sets for iPads (since it was suggested they need a harder cover to protect the screen), a size for 10"-13" laptops and a size for 14"-17" laptops. Now, here's where it gets fun! What I need is exact measurements of the different sized laptops. I have a 17" laptop, so mine actually measures 15 1/2" wide x 11" high when closed. So, the favor I need is for you to measure your laptop (when closed) and let me know the measurements :) And if you also have any suggestions for options, etc for the sleeves and covers (such as pockets--make it padded, etc) please feel more than free to let me know! I want these to stand out from all the rest so anything you may add or suggest to make mine different will be very welcome advice! And who knows--maybe I'll just give one of these away :)

Inexpensive Gift Ideas

Christmas will be here before you know it so you need to start making that list! I decided to post a few tutorials that will help you make fun, practical, and inexpensive gifts. Ready? Here we go!

Manicure Kit

Our first tutorial will show you how to make this cute manicure kit! So easy and would make great gifts! You could even do one in kids' fabrics for little girls! Best part: you can buy the manicure sets anywhere--including the dollar store! You can hop on over to dhbuscher.com to get the complete instructions.

Leg Warmers

Our next tutorial is by Venezie Designs. She'll show you how to make these cute leg warmers from a pair of women's socks! Another great, inexpensive gift idea!

 Composition Book Cover

This would make a great gift for the students on your list! It's made using strips of fabric so you can use up some of those scraps you have! To find out how to make this one, hop on over to V and Co Blog

On-the-Go Activity Book

 This is a great item to make for the little ones on your list! It's made completely out of felt so it's inexpensive and fun! There are three activities in the book to keep the little ones occupied: tic-tac-toe, dress-up, and coloring. You could probably make cars instead of the dress-up doll for boys. To see how to make this cute book, go visit At Second Street blog.

Onesie Dress

We can't leave baby girl out now can we? This cute little dress made with fabric and a onesie only takes 10 minutes to make! You can make baby girl a whole wardrobe in an hour! To see how easy this is, go to Prudent Baby and check it out!

Lined Zipper Pouch

This is a great one for the guys (even though the picture shows feminine fabrics)! I've made Mike a couple of these and he uses them to hold his golf tees and balls. To see how easy these are to make, go see A Pretty Modern Life

Menu Planning Organizer

Our last tutorial is for Moms-on-the-go. It's a menu planning organizer. This is made using fabric and ultra firm stabilizer.  There is a pocket on the left for a legal sized pad where Mom can write down her grocery list and pockets on the right to hold her menus for the week, recipes, and coupons! I think this might be on my to-do Christmas list! To find out how fun and easy this is to make, go visit Little Big Girl Studio

Why Did I Unfollow You?

I am not offended very easily. I have a sarcastic, warped sense of humor and I usually just shrug things off and don't take things very personally. However of late, I have been offended. Repeatedly. By the same people. What is continuously offending me? I am being considered a racist. If you know me--personally--then I am sure your eyes have just widened considerably. If you do not know me very well, let me tell you a little bit about myself and then I will tell how it's come about that I've been called a racist.

I was raised in a household with two older brothers (who weren't nice at all to their little sister) and my parents. My dad worked two jobs to support us and keep a roof over our heads so the only time we really saw him was during weekends (he worked 1st and 2nd shifts so by the time he got home we were already in bed).  I loved my dad. I respected my dad. I thought my dad hung the moon. He was my hero. Therefore I hung on his every word and tried to live my life by the principles he taught us. One of those principles was that you did not judge a person by the color of their skin but rather by their merit, personality, who they were as a person. I have lived by this advice every day of my life. I pride myself on not "seeing" color when I look at a person. And I have never, EVER uttered the "N" word in my LIFE and nor would I utter it now. If I had even said that word when I was growing up I probably wouldn't of been able to pick myself up off the floor for a week.

Now, considering all this, how do you wonder, could I have come to be called a racist? Well I suppose some people in these times, seem to think that if you do not support the current president or agree with his policies and if you stand up for America and what you believe in, and you don't have the same opinions as these said people, you are now all grouped as being racist. This is not only untrue, but it is also hurtful to those of use who are not racist in the slightest. As I have stated before, I tend not to take things personally nor get offended, but I cannot help to take this personal. "Racist" is an ugly word in my opinion, therefore being deemed as being one because I do not have the same political views or opinions of others is hurtful to me. And it makes me wonder, do others see me this way too because of what I believe in? I certainly hope they do not.

Because of this reason, and because I can no longer deal with being offended in this way, I have unfollowed some people on Twitter who I have been following for a long time. It's not political. I still follow others who do not agree with my political views, however; these people have never offended me the way these others have. These people are making me so angry and I do not want to be an angry person so I believe it is in my best interest, and theirs, to just unfollow them. I will miss our joking around but I just cannot deal with offensive remarks any longer. I hope you have a very happy and healthy life.  All I ask is that maybe you should think of people and who they are before you call them ugly names and group them all together because you don't agree politically.

Oh, and some of you just post links to things which doesn't offend me--just annoys the crap out of me.

Fabric Storage Baskets

 

I'm very excited to announce my next new item: fabric storage baskets! These are made the same way as my magnet baskets except in three sizes: 

Large: 12" wide x 7" high

Medium: 10" wide x 5 1/2" high

  Small: 7 1/2" wide x 4" high. 

These can either be hung or just set on a shelf. To hang them, you can slip either a curtain rod or painted dowel through the loops and place it on brackets. These are also reversible! Simply flip them inside out and you have a new look! They will also fit inside each other for storage.

 

I will be working on some of these this week and get them listed in my NEW Bonanzle  shop! This is where I will be selling items such as these, purses, and non-baby/children related items. I have a few things listed there now if you'd like to check it out.

I was going to give this set away on my blog, but alas, I had a "bad sewing day" and had some issues with how they turned out, so I will probably give this set to my mom or keep them for myself. I haven't quite decided on that yet.  I would like to give a set of them away in the future though.  Does that sound like a good deal to you?

I Think I Peed My Pants a Little

For those of you that don't know, me and Mike ride a motorcycle. A rather BIG motorcycle. As a matter of fact, it's the biggest you can buy. It's a '93 Harley Ultra Glide--what we called "back in the day" a dresser or bagger.  Mike has been riding since he was a kid (most people start on dirt bikes and graduate from there). I've been riding since--well I really can't remember my first ride to be honest--my dad always had a bike so I would imagine I was pretty darned young when he started giving me rides. Needless to say, me and Mike both love to ride. We used to take A LOT of road trips when we first met (and for several years after). All in all, we'd put about 10,000 miles a year on this bike, which is pretty good when you only have four or five months total of good riding weather during the year. So I would have to say that we're both pretty experienced riders. We don't speed--just cruise.

Of course we've had some close calls--who hasn't that rides? Unfortunately there are people out there that just do not pay attention to what's going on around them. So, as a rider, you have to make sure that you're extra alert and diligent and be aware of your surroundings constantly. It just comes with riding a bike. Most people are not watching out for you so you have to watch out for yourself. We have had so many people just pull out in front of us (I remember one occasion where we had to actually pass a pickup on a two lane or we would've bitten the tailgate of his truck at 50 mph and thank the good LORD there wasn't anyone coming the opposite way), tailgate us, etc.  Now how these particular people don't see us is beyond me. As I mentioned our bike is big--bigger than most cars nowadays (it weighs 750 lbs unpacked)--and LOUD (but not in that annoying Screaming Eagle muffler way). I think it's more they just don't give a damn. These are probably the same people that pull out in front of semis.

Anyway, I've never been really "paranoid" of riding.  Until a couple of years ago. About the time that people started talking on cell phones more than watching the road. And now it's texting. These people (and you know who you are) don't watch the cars around them much less people on bikes. They're scary. They're a danger. They should have their licenses revoked. Driving is a privilege not a right and if you can't abide the rules of the road and drive safely, then you don't need to be behind the wheel of a 2,000 pound death machine. Just my opinion.

I also think that maybe they should either raise the age when a person should be able to get a license or make it mandatory that they need to go through driving school before they get a license. No experience and lack of judgement will also get someone killed. Like us yesterday. Now, as I mentioned, we have had a few close calls--but being motorcycle riders--we're always aware of our surroundings--you have to be.  Even so, there are those times when even evasive action cannot save you. I thought that's what was going to happen to us yesterday as we traveled home from a friend's cottage on the lake.

There we were, minding our own business, enjoying a leisurely ride home, when here comes two cars in the opposite direction (we were on a two-lane). The one car was trying to pass the other. Well, that was fine and not much cause for concern since they were about a mile away and the passing car had more than enough time to pass. But she didn't. By the time we realized she was neither 1) going to slow down and get back behind the car she was trying to pass, or 2) speed up to get around the car before she got to us, it was damn near too late. Mike had to get over on the burm of the road so we wouldn't get hit head on by a car doing 55 mph ( we were doing about 45 by this point since Mike had slowed down when he realized this car was not going to pass in time).  We were three vehicles wide (two going the opposite way of us) on a two-lane road. That's fine in Nascar (when all the cars are usually driving in the same direction) but NOT ok on a public road.  That was pretty much the closest we have ever come to actually being killed on the bike.  Needless to say, I have to do some laundry today since I believe we both messed our pants a little.

Mike got a pretty good look at the passing car's driver and he said she was REALLY young. Lack of experience and lack of judgment is what I chalk it up to--that almost got two motorcyclists killed.  And they say motorcycles are dangerous. It's not the motorcycles that are dangerous--it's the people in cars that pay no attention (or like this one--lack of driving experience) that are the dangerous ones. But do they say that people should stop driving cars? No--people should stop riding motorcycles instead. I think people who drive carelessly should just stop driving altogether. Save some lives.

A Crafty Weekend

 After making all those tool aprons this past week, I decided I needed a little break from sewing. However, since I am not very good at just sitting around and always need to be busy, I decided to do a little crafting. I don't craft too much, but it is a nice change once in awhile.  The first thing I decided to make was something for myself (which I rarely do!). This came about when I had used up my container of Oxy Clean. It was a rather nice sized container and I hated to throw it out so I decided to repurpose it into a caddy for my fabric paint markers. I used paper, ribbon, and Modge Podge. I just spread a thin layer of Modge Podge onto the container, wrapped my paper around it (after I cut it to size of course) and then put a couple more coats of Modge Podge over the paper. Then I glued ribbon to the top.

The next thing I decided to make was pin cushions from recycled cans. I used paper, fabric, felt, 2 1/2" styrofoam balls (cut in half), Modge Podge, and buttons, gems, etc for embellishments, and sand .  I basically made these the same way as the Oxy Clean container but with a few more steps. The most time consuming part was waiting for the Modge Podge to dry. They were fun to make and I may make more in the future.  I do believe I will try to sell these.

I also made some more book clips

And hair bands! I ran out of covered buttons so will have to order more so I can make more book clips and hair bands.  

 I still have to decide if I want to open another etsy store or maybe a Bonanzle store. Or I could put them on my Craft is Art store. Not sure yet. I want to keep my baby/children items separate from other things I make such as purses, housewares, etc. Where would you prefer to buy them?

1st Wholesale Order: Tool Aprons

A couple of weeks ago I got my very first wholesale order. I was so excited! The buyer wanted 14--possibly 18--tool aprons for her son's birthday party. This was such a fun order because during the "I'm thinking about it" stage she asked me what could be put into them for girls. So I made a few suggestions: play hair dryer, brushes, etc so they could play "beautician"; art supplies, and play kitchen utensils. I'm actually glad she asked me that question because I had never thought of marketing my tool aprons for girls too--but now maybe I will!

After she made the decision to order them, she decided she wanted solid colors: pink w/purple trim for the girls and navy w/red trim for the boys. She also wanted them personalized. This presented a challenge since I don't own an embroidery machine (which will be the FIRST thing I buy when I hit the lottery) so I had to figure out a way to do this.  What I decided was to embroider the names onto shapes (oval for boys, hearts for girls) in felt that matched the trim colors and then applique them onto the aprons.  Now mind you, I am not very good at embroidering--especially freehand--but I did the best I could. I also decided to stitch the pocket dividers using a decorative trim and in thread colors matching the trim to break up the solids a bit.

I decided I would make one apron of each so I could send her a picture of what they looked like and get her approval before I made the rest of them (smart, no?). She really liked them, so away I went! It took me a total of four days to make them. Two days to cut them out and two days to make them (I did boys first and then the girls).  Not as long as I thought it would take! And walla! 14 tool aprons!

Come Take a Tour

We live in a red brick schoolhouse.  It was a school until the early 50s.  There was an average of 30 students who went to this little school by the swamp.  When Mike bought it in 1983, he had to do a lot of work to it--new windows, new roof, etc. When I moved in (1998), we redid our living room: new carpet, new ceiling, finished the fireplace. We also redid the laundry room: tile floor, painted, new cabinets.  And put a tile floor in the kitchen. A few yrs later, we built a deck and added french patio doors.  We spend a lot of time there in the good weather months (that being all of about 4 months out of the year here).

I thought maybe some of you would be interested to see what the inside of an old schoolhouse looked like so I decided to take a few pics this morning (I do apologize for some of them being a bit grainy--the house is a bit dark inside so it's difficult to get clear pics on cloudy days). I hope you enjoy them. So, let's start our tour, shall we?

First, the house! As I said, this was a schoolhouse until the early 50s so it wasn't made into a house probably until the late 50s/early 60s. The pillars are not part of the original school--those were added later.  Mike had to replace them a few yrs ago because they were wood and rotted. These ones are aluminum. There are seven rooms in this house plus an attic. Being a rather small house, the rooms aren't large, and yes, I do wish we had bigger rooms. 

This is the original bell. Not brass--metal. We have had so many people stop and ask if they could buy the bell. Of course you can, but you have to buy the house that's attached to it! Mike plans to repaint the bell tower soon (I hope). Oh, and did I mention we have bats in our belfry?

 The deck. We spend a lot of time here in the warm weather months (all four of them!). As you can see, Jinx likes to lay on the deck too. I must admit, the bench he's on is the most uncomfortable thing in the world! We have cushions we put on them when we sit here. The deck chairs however, are VERY comfortable. Itty usually sleeps in one of them or on the hammock.

 If you come in the house through the patio doors or back door (we never use the front door), you'll walk into the laundry room. I didn't post pics of it because I had done that some time back in another blog post. On the left is the living room. The laundry and living room are an addition to the original school. This old barn door is used as a divider between the living room and laundry room. It was here when Mike moved in. I kind of like it.

The living room's walls are made from wormy oak. This is not paneling--it is actually oak planking. I love it. I think it adds a rustic look to the house. When we remodeled this room, we decided to do it in a southwest style/theme. It goes well with the walls. This glass window is on the wall that divides the living room from the dining room.

 This is my favorite part of the living room: the fireplace. Mike put the stone on this shortly after I moved in. I love it. We use it often in the cold months (that would be approx. 7 months out of the year). That's a fox hide hanging on the chimney. He found it in an antique shop eons ago. I show it to Rocky once in awhile and give him fair warning that if he doesn't behave, this can happen to him.

 Now we'll go into the dining room. I love our ceiling. It's done in wood planking and painted white. I would never replace this ceiling. It also has beams that run from one side to the other. Yes, one of the bulbs on the fan is burnt out. Been that way for months. As you can tell, Mike doesn't get in too much of a hurry to do things.

 This is a stained glass window that one of the owners (I have no idea how many families have lived in this house) put in. Not sure why or what purpose it serves, but it does look neat.

 The staircase. Mike and his friend replaced this when he first bought the house. It's made of oak. I usually replace the flower garland with a Christmas one come the holidays. That's about the closest I get to decorating.

 Can you guess what room we're in now? This is the wall that divides the kitchen from the front hallway. I like this little window. I think it gives the kitchen a nice country feel.  It used to have a curtain but I replaced all the curtains with ones I made and just never did one for this little window. I rather like it plain.

 The sink is right under that little window. We found this faucet and had to have it. I think it goes so well with the rustic look of the kitchen. Don't they remind you of the old fashioned bathroom fixtures? We have one for the bathroom sink too but haven't installed it yet. Another room I'm still waiting to redo.

 These are the cabinets. Again--wormy oak like the living room walls. I love the shingle paneling above the cabinets. The ceiling in the kitchen is also like the ceiling in the dining room.

 This is where I eat most of the time.  The window looks out onto the back yard. I either read my book or look out the window when I eat. And that's the end of your tour! I didn't take pictures of the bathroom or bedroom because they're nothing special really. Hope to redo them before we get too old and feeble. One day maybe.  I hope you enjoyed your tour through our little schoolhouse. Stop by for a visit sometime!

First Wholesale Order

I am so excited! A few weeks ago a seller on etsy had contacted me about making tool aprons for her son's birthday party.  She wasn't exactly sure how many she'd need or what fabrics she wanted so said she would get back in touch with me when she figured it out.  She's been contacting me pretty regularly since then. She's finally decided that she wants girls and boys aprons. Girls in pink with purple trim, boys in navy with red trim. She also wanted them personalized

So yesterday, I made one of each so I could send her a picture of how they looked.  I decided to embroider the names onto felt (heart shaped for girls, oval for boys) to match the trim colors.  I also decided that I would use decorative stitching for the pocket dividers in the trim colors just to break up the solids a bit. They turned out cute! I sent her a picture of the two I made and she loved them. So now I need to make 11 more of them. There could be a total of 18 but she hasn't heard from a couple of the invitees yet.

 

In other news, my niece requested that I make a blanket to go along with the frog pillow I made for her little boy. So, I made him a small rag quilt. It turned out so cute! These are so fun and easy to make, just a bit time consuming because of all the cutting you have to do. These may be future Christmas presents for the little ones. I think they'd all enjoy their own blanket.

Refrigerator Magnet Baskets

A couple of months ago I had a brainstorm. While browsing in a dept. store I came across letter magnets. I remember these from when my nieces and nephews were younger. They LOVED these things! My Mom had them on her refrigerator and they would play with these for hours on end. And it wasn't just one or two nieces, but all of them loved those magnets when they were little. So, I thought, "What could I possibly do with those?" And then it hit me--why not make a little basket that would hang on the refrigerator that the little ones could put them in?" I thought it was a good idea because another of the little ones' favorite games to play was putting stuff in a bag or box and taking it out--another thing that kept them entertained for hours. So I decided to combine the two and this is what I came up with.

I think it'd make a great gift--I priced them very reasonably and I'm also including a choice of either a set of letter or number magnets to go with them! I do plan to make more of these this weekend. These little baskets would also work on a dresser or shelf to hold small items or toys. I might even make some in "grown-up fabrics" and maybe different sizes for Mom (or Dad). So--we'll see how these sell!! I personally love them! Might have to make myself a few.

It's All Relative

I have been a very busy bee these past two weeks thanks to some of my, um, lovely relatives.  You see, I am the only crafter in my family. I do have a niece who does a little crochet but she's just started and doesn't have a lot of time to stitch since she has two (very adorable if I must say so myself) little ones. While my younger nieces like craft kits, they are a bit young yet to actually be "crafty" if you know what I mean. So, this basically means that I'm the only one who seriously crafts. Because of this, I am often receiving requests. I'm not complaining. As a matter of fact, these requests have made me put my crafty cap (that's sort of like a thinking cap, only for crafting) on. Which I don't mind a bit--as a matter of fact, I rather like it. Mostly because it challenges me and let's face it, life would be a bit boring if you weren't challenged now and again.

 Last week, I had one of my teenage nieces ask if I could make her a book bag.  She didn't want anything fancy (thank goodness), just something simple to carry a binder and a book or two. Oh, and maybe a pocket for pens and pencils. I must say, this project was by far the easiest request I've had thus far. It came out so well that I asked her two sisters if they also wanted one. Naturally they said yes and told me what fabric they wanted (Chinese dragons and Scooby Doo). I made all but Scooby (have to order fabric when my niece tells me which one--she is soooo slow) and sent them pictures and they love them--which of course makes me feel great. 

The next request (just yesterday as a matter of fact) was from one of my older nieces. Her little boy needed a small pillow for school and she couldn't find one anywhere. All she seemed to find were baby birth announcement pillows. She saw a picture of a monkey pillow I had posted on my FB page (I had made it for Mike's great nephew for Christmas) and asked if I could make one of a frog or turtle. I didn't think that would be too complicated since all I'd have to do is change the face a little. So I did. Another quick and relatively easy project.

 Well of course I couldn't make one for Tyler and not make one for his little sister Kayden because that certainly wouldn't be fair. So I decided to try and make a bunny. I think I need to round my ears a bit more because it looks more like a kitty to me, but she's not going to know the difference.

 So far, those are the only requests I've received. Oh--I take that back. When my niece saw the frog pillow, she asked if I could make a blanket to go with it. It never ends. But that makes me happy.