Making Gifts

I have come to the conclusion that I am quite talented so why not put my talents to use. Each year I spend so much on presents for children when my girls are invited to birthday. Also I have 5 Nieces and Nephews plus friends kids. Wow just tired thinking about it. 

I have now decided that I am going to make gifts for all those I can. I started on the weekend getting a reserve of presents up.

Mini kids heat pack 

I made these small kids heat bags that i can put with winter birthdays. Very cute and colourful I know my girls love them.

All i did was get 2 cotton 5inch squares and 2 flannel 5inch squares. place the 2 cotton squares right sides together. place flannel one on top and one underneath. sew all 4 layers together. leave small hole to fill. turn right side out and press. fill using funnel with 3/4 cup rice. then put straight stick across to close opening. Mircowave for 45secs.

Crayon Roll

Great gift for littler ones. Crayon Roll. holds 16 Crayons

you need: 

2 - 5 x 16.5inch pieces of cotton

1 - 6 x 16.5inch piece of cotton FOLDED lengthways 

1 - 5 x 16.5inch piece interfacing

1 - 30 inch ribbon

1 - 44 inch ric rac

Iron the interfacing to the wrong side of the 5 X 16 1/2 piece of fabric that you want to be on the inside.

Line up the bottom edges of the folded piece and the piece with interfacing, pin together. Starting over from the edge 1 1/4 inches sew lines parallel with the edge starting from the top of the crayon pocket, back-stitching at the top to reinforce. Sew the lines one inch apart across the pocket. You will have 1 1/4 inches on each side.

If you want to use ric rac, pin it around the edge as shown. Fold the ribbon in half and pin it on the edge. On the one I didn’t use ric rac I did a blanket stitch around the edge when finished.

Pin remaining piece of 5 X 16 1/2 inch fabric right sides together with the pocket piece. Sew around edges with 1/4 inch seam. Leave about 3 inches across bottom for turning.

Trim corners, turn, press and top stitch being careful to catch all layers of the opening to close.

Now to brainstorm and think of some more ideas that i can make for kids gifts. I would love some more ideas if anyone out there can help :)

Fantastic Give away

Never have I wanted to win something so much.

Below is the best give away I could imagine. Even if I don't win I will be going here for sure. Get a group of crafty girls together and away we go.

Check this gorgeous retreat out for yourself. 

                       www.theretreatwoodend.com.au

As part of the launch of Victoria's newest Crafters Retreat,

The Retreat Woodend is having a GIVEAWAY!

Grand Opening on July 14th and taking bookings now.

A giveaway valued at $950!!!!

The Retreat Woodend is offering one lucky person and up to NINE of their friends, the chance to win a whole weekend at The Retreat.

Interstate and International people you don't miss out - if you are unable to claim the prize due to distance, you will receive a voucher for $100 to spend at the Fat Quarter Shop online fabric store.

Yes, that's right ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS!

What do you need to do?

Book a weekend at The Retreat to receive TEN entries into the giveaway. Yep, ten.

OR

Blog it. In order to receive one entry into the giveaway, all you have to do is blog about it. Please include a link to our website: www.theretreatwoodend.com.au

Then just come back here and leave a comment telling me that you blogged and add a link so I can verify your entry.

Crafty Kids

Cold wet and windy, made for a great weekend to spend indoors with my girls. So the girls weren't sitting in front of the tv all weekend I decided to get the girls being crafty.

Firstly we started with a clipboard each for the girls. Getting some ideas of Pinterest which I love we decorated the boards so they looked pretty for the girls.

This week the girls decided they wanted separate rooms so I have been tackling that huge job.

Now they have their own rooms they wanted something special they could make. We decided to make a Pinboard each. Miss Lyss got a glow in the Dark board. and Miss Chops got a little girly board. 

As Miss Chops is only 4 I don't really want pins in her room ready to be stood on. We put straps across her Pinboard and decided to make it a peg board instead.

Miss Chops loves her new board.

Now we made the boards we didn't want plain pegs so we set to it again making some beautiful pegs for their beautiful boards.

So that is our crafty weekend. 3 girls together is a lot of fun and a lot of mess at the end of the day.

All we need now is to think what we can make next. School holidays coming up soon there will be lots of time to get crafty. 

Studying

 I have started studying. I am doing an Advanced Diploma in Graphic Design and Advertising. Woah, its a mouth full.

This is one of the assignments i did in my computer subject. Had to place all these objects together from different pictures, and arrange them to look like they fit together.

In drawing I had to go through magazines and make up a character. I then had to draw it, scan it in to photoshop and make a movie poster for it.

My favourite so far is the following. We had to think of a design for a shirt. I had to scan it into photoshop, make it extreme black and white. I then had to make a stencil by drawing my picture on freezer paper and cutting it out. Ironed it on my shirt then painted it.

I got my gorgeous girl to model it for me. I am so pleased with how it came up.

After all this I had to make an A4 magazine spread for my shirt.

And this is the final product. I was extremely happy with the outcome and was amazed with what could actually achieve once i got into it.

My tutor loved it also, which made my day :)

Autumn Leaves

My most recent photo shoot. It was a glorious day in Rosalind Park. So many colours, such beauty to look at. It was the perfect backdrop for a family photo shoot.

It was proven to be a tough job to get this little man to sit still with his sisters.

Both girls are stunning and were perfect little models for me. They were having a ball playing and throwing the leaves and hiding in the gardens.

Trying to from the little man was a very hard task, but fun :)

Big smiles for mum

To finish of the shoot the kids get their twinkle toes out for a photo.

With all these gorgeous photos I had to have a collage for the family.

A beautiful day out :)

Kindy Quilt

I wanted to make Miss Chops a special Kindy quilt. My last one off to Kindy this year, so it was my last chance. 

I wanted her to have something she could keep forever.

It is nice and bright, so much love has gone into this quilt.

I hand stitched her name onto it for her. I also traced her hands and hand stitched a hand print into every row of the quilt. now over the year we can watch her little hand grow.

Something for Miss Chops to look back on when she is all grown up and see how little her hands were when she first started at Kindy.

Kindy Day

Well Miss Chops started Kindy last week :( A very sad occasion for Mummy.

Miss Chops on the other hand, thinks it's the bast thing ever. You get to hang out with your friends for 5 1/2 hours 2 days a week. What more do you want when you are 4....

Painting with your best friend

And Play dough, well thats it. Not sure she will ever want to come home.

Well today while Miss Chops was at kindy I thought I would get over the sadness and make the most of a child free day.

I got a lot of work done.

Edited a photoshoot I did the other day. Cleaned up the kitchen. 

Chose some fabrics for some sew Table runners

And did some baking

Smarty cookies for school and next Kindy day

I thought I would give Play dough a go. I don't usually have it as I used to buy it and it always just dried out on me. Big waste of money.

Today I got a great recipe from a friend and made it for my girls.

They had a great afternoon after school and kindy. Played with the new Play dough and had a smarty cookie or 2 each :)

Anyone who would like to make their own, here is the recipe for you.

UNCOOKED PLAY DOUGH

2 cups plain flour

1 cup salt

2 tablespoon oil

4 tablespoons cream of Tartar

2 cups boiling water

food colouring.

Mix all dry ingredients together.

add oil and boiling water and few drops of colouring

stir until well mixed and firm.

Kneed on bench

Store in airtight container

does not need cooking and does not need to be refrigerated.

Enough for my Girls

I think my girls are getting enough quilts. but I still want to make more.

My mum and My sister were next in line.

With Sisters Favourite colour being Green and Mum loving earthy tones this was the perfect Birthday przzie for my sister and a great Xmas prezzie for Mum.

Matching

Miss Lyss and Miss Chops wanted matching quilts but wanted their favourite colours in their own quilts.

Miss Lyss's favourite colour is purple

While Miss Chops loves blue.

The quilts came up very smart and now live folded on the back of each end of the couch.

Table Runners

I thought I would try some Table Runners and Place mats. 

This is work in progress. It will be the top of 1 runner. Nice earthy colours. Need to chose the backing now.

The top of a Blue runner. Will get into finishing them and making matching Placemats.

Nice easy project :)

Shaggy Snuggle quilt

It was coming into winter and thought my girls would love a snuggle quilt.

Made from flannel, makes for a nice warm shaggy snuggle quilt on those cold winter nights.

Might have to make myself one. :)

Little Miss Chops

My second quilt was to be for Miss Chops single bed.

Miss Chops was 3 when I made this so the soft pastel colours were perfect for my baby girl.

NOW I'M ADDICTED!!!!

planning my 3rd and 4th quilt already :)

1st ever Quilt

I had a friend teach me to quilt about 18months ago. "You will get addicted" she said. 

This was the first quilt I made. It was a single bed quilt for Miss Lyss. Loved the colours great for a 10yr old girls bed.

Now I have Miss Chops asking where her quilt is. I will make her one, but thats it. I'm not going to get addicted!!