Relaxin’ and Enjoying the Holiday!

Happy Memorial Day to everyone!!

Our long weekend was actually closer to two weeks! We’ve been spending time with my family at the beach in the sun and warmth. The sun and warmth was much needed after a long dreary Seattle winter and Spring…

Here’s a bit of what we’ve been up to. Beach, Baptism, Parties, Friends, Crafts, Ferry Rides, Creatures….

Today we saw what looked like a snake, but is actually a lizard, a bat and a catfish and we never even left the beach house! We’ve seen alligators and dolphins, ducks, turtles, osprey, heron, crabs, and bugs….

One of my favorite things though has been sitting on our front porch, which is a screened in porch about 36 feet long and lined with rocking chairs, basically our living and dining room, crafting and listening to the waves. Wonderful! I’ll be sharing some of the crafts I have done soon. I was working on a quilt tonight that I’m excited to share and this morning I painted masks with my son!

I do have pictures of all my crafty vacation endeavors, but it’s time to relax.  I’ve been doing that very well so I thought I’d share that for just a little something different. Back to crafts after the holiday!

I hope everyone else has been having a great weekend. What have you been up to??

And the Oohmoon Winner is….

drum roll…..

And the winner of the oohmoon art series of your choice is…..

Comment Number 41!!!

Congratulations Lee!

Have a great long weekend everyone! And Katie, a big big thanks for joining us this week at I’m Feelin’ Crafty. It was an honor to have you and get to know you better.

Friday Inspiration

Today is the last day of our week with Katie Moon, oohmoon…  Sad, yes, I know…  Don’t fret… I’ll be making more crafts with her art, for sure!

But today we decided to share her inspiration! I asked her what and who inspires you. The answers I received are pretty cool!! Check it out:

 

There are artists out there that are SOO much more talented and developed that I am. They inspire me. And they also mentor me visually (though they themselves don’t know it). Two current artists whom I love, have been watching for years, and greatly admire everything they do are:

 

1. Kirsten Ulve who has merchandise available at cafepress.

 

2. Shag who has merchandise available on his website .

 

3. I’m a fan of Laurie Rosenwald’s work too. I love how she gets elbow deep in her work

 

4. And then there’s fashion. It doesn’t directly inspire my illustration, though everything around me influences it in one way or another. My favorite designer whose every item I want to buy is Kenneth Cole. I love how tailored, yet sophisticated and stylish his work is.

 

5. And an Amy Butler fan, too. My favorite line of hers ever was her Midwest Modern line.

 

 

 

I have to say I’m an avid watcher of:

 

West ElmCB2      Ikea 

 

I’m an Angela Adams fan.

 

I also keep an eye on MoMA’s store (Museum of Modern Art):

 

Oh! And I love etsy! Who doesn’t! I find do-it-yourself projects all the time on there to tackle for myself! Of course I’ve also made several purchases from there as well!

 

 

 

Well, Thank you Katie for all your hard work work getting all my questions answered. I know I’ve had a great time getting to know you better!

 

Stay tuned for the giveaway winner!

Wooden Block Puzzle, a Tutorial

Thanks everyone for your interest in the Block Puzzle with images by Katie from oohmoon!

I was going to do the tutorial on Monday, but didn’t want to take away from the Giveaway news.  And there were some questions, but I didn’t want to reply to too many and mess up the odds in the Giveaway random number picker! So, hopefully this answers everyone’s questions!

Materials:

Mod Podge

Paint

Wooden Blocks

Sandpaper

Exacto Knife

8×10 Printed Images

Step 1: Sand the blocks. I recommend sanding the rough sides of the blocks. Something to think about… On the first set of blocks I made, I rounded all the edges, not thinking about how it would affect the 2” pieces of each image. It made it slightly harder to get the images on just right. The second set I made, I just sanded the rough sides, not the corners and it made for much cleaner edges.

I ordered my blocks from Craft Parts. I priced around and based on the number I was ordering, this place had the best price.

Step 2: Paint! On my blocks, I painted 2 sides and have images on 4 sides. Since these were for such youngsters, I decided that at least two sides would just be a solid color puzzle!  You can skip this step if you are putting images on all 6 sides.

Step 3: Cut your images into 2” squares.

Step 4: Glue the image to the block using the Mod Podge. Tip… I laid mine out so that each block was oriented the same way, i.e. the green side was always at the bottom of the image. I just felt that it made it a bit cleaner looking. Will anyone else ever notice? I doubt it…

Step 5: I added a top coat of Mod Podge to protect the image from drips, etc. I also added the top coat to the painted sides for a more complete look.

And there ya go….  Just keep repeating for each side and eventually you’ll have yourself your own block puzzle.

Shared on

 

An Artist Interview with Katie Moon, AKA oohmoon.com

Thanks to everyone with all your wonderful comments on the oohmoon.com giveaway! Everyone keeps telling us their favorites and I keep wanting to respond, ‘Me, too!!’ I know it’s hard to pick a favorite!!

And I will have the tutorial done for the blocks tomorrow!

I asked Katie a few questions that I’ve been curious about and she graciously answered them ALL! I still don’t understand how she does it all. And without further ado… More about the wonderful artist behind oohmoon.com, Katie Moon! (with some of my favorite pieces!)

When did you start creating art and how did your creative journey inspire your oohmoon blog? 

 I have always loved to create. I think that’s probably the nature of most artists. As a kid I LOVED “craft hour” at school and girl scouts and camp and Sunday School. I was always the one going around the room helping the other kids with their craft projects. I would take my mom’s garbage (literally) and make something out of it. I remember making an empty Mrs. Butterworth’s jar into a Mrs. Claus that my mom still shamelessly puts out at Christmas time. For my 11th birthday, one of my friends gave me an art notepad and chalk pastels. I drew on every page of that notepad and brought it to school and showed everyone. And not too long after that I asked for a Bob Ross paint set/canvas/video for Christmas. That’s how I started to learn to paint. I never took an art class until college actually! All of my formal training took place after high school. I was very involved back then and never had room in my schedule for an art class. For 2 weeks I was an instrumental education major. I quickly realized I didn’t have the passion for it that I needed, so on a whim, I thought I’d try graphic design for a semester. And let me tell you, I LOVED it!! Absolutely loved it! I remember absolutely beaming with a huge dorky grin across my face on my way back to my dorm room after one of my first critiques. I was SO glad I switched majors. And still am. While getting my BFA in Graphic Design I also minored in Art… which was more of the traditional art classes. Other than my design classes, I loved my painting classes next best. I still LOVE to paint to this day. And then, of course, I loved my art history courses that I know I have often mentioned.

Anyways, long story short, I started illustrating about a year after college graduation. I wasn’t sure it would take, but wanted to give it a try. It was pretty phenomenal how it all came to be…  nothing I could have planned. Wish I had the space to share the whole story in detail. Simply put, God reconfirmed it over and over again that I was supposed to be an illustrator. In such cools ways too. So I went with it, and couldn’t be more thrilled about it today. It is one of my greatest loves!

 

How did it inspire oohmoon? Well, I guess I was looking for ways to expand my work and meet a bigger audience. As I wrote on my blog, oohmoon.com was really my husband’s idea. And I agreed that it really went well with what I was looking to do with my illustration. Also, if you’ve heard the term “love language”, gift giving is one of mine. I LOVE to give gifts. I spend so much time thinking about and searching for the perfect gifts for people and I get so excited for them to receive them. And for those I love most, I create. So giving art away is really an expression of me and my love for art, I suppose. I love that I’ve been able to use oohmoon to not only give to a vast amount of people, but also to individuals and their families.

 

 

What other hobbies do you enjoy besides making art?

 

I am not a person who is ever going to get bored in life. My parents really encouraged me to be involved in all sorts of activities in order to help me find what I loved most. In that, I really came to enjoy many different activities. Bar none, my favorite would be snow skiing. I anticipate our ski trips to the mountains all year round. (Thank God above that my husband is passionate about it too!!) Maybe someday we’ll live in the mountains… I also love to play basketball and jog. I love to rollerblade too. Though I don’t get a lot of time for it anymore. I bladed a lot in college on the boardwalk on Lake Superior. Just breath-taking. I love to paint. Really big paintings. There are a few on our walls. 🙂 (Actually, you might be interested to know that not one oohmoon illustration has found its way to a wall in my house yet… oh I have plans, just haven’t gotten there yet.) And there’s always at least one painting in my mind just waiting to find itself on canvas. Right now there are 2 up there. I like to take pictures of my kids. I like to read. I like to knit… and crochet, but knitting’s better if you ask me. I’m not very good at it, but I like it. I really enjoy cooking and baking! I love experimenting, finding new recipes, and making my own too. Food. I love food. I enjoy music so much. Especially instrumental. I used to play trumpet. Jazz was my favorite. I had the privilege of playing with a great jazz band in college for a couple of years… playing with people who love it and are so talented is such a treat! I love to be outdoors too. There are a few things I’ve enjoyed over the years and would love to do more of some day… rock climbing and backpacking especially. High adventure stuff is the best! I think I could go on and on here. I’ll end with one more. I’m not sure if this is a hobby… but hanging out with friends. We’ve been so lucky to have really great friends to do life with. Whether it’s just hanging out at each other’s homes, having meals together and letting the kids play, or going out together, having people to laugh with and do life with is one of the greatest joys this side of heaven!

 

 

oohmoon weekly themes are mostly child oriented, fairy tales, numbers, monsters… In what other ways have your experiences as a mother and artist impacted each other?

 

Hmmm…. My kids definitely inspire my art. And they definitely interrupt it too! But even more so, I think my art inspires my parenting. I hope to really encourage artistic development in them. They surely don’t need to choose it as their professions, or even like it, but I really believe that everyone can create. And should if at all possible. Unfortunately, so often others and other factors stifle that creative bug in us and tell us to stop or that we’re not any good. When it comes to art, what is “good” really is relative to each person. In college I almost didn’t get a class counted for credit toward my major because there’s an idea out there that water-color painting is not true art. Too many “civilians” so to speak dabble in it! That’s preposterous to me! It doesn’t matter the medium. The mind behind it is what creates the art. Anyways, I believe there’s an artist in at least most of us, and I hope to bring it out in our children too… if they do enjoy it anyway. 

 

 

How do you balance between blogging, your artistry, and spending time with your family?

 

Honestly, this is the hardest part of my day right now. Finding and maintaining balance. You know, we’re all busy, so I’m not going to say I’m an exception. But I can share how I try to maintain that balanced life. The way I am finding the most balance right now is by making sure my priorities are in order each day. I try to tend to the most important things first, and I try to give my full attention to each thing I do (Note, I said try. Easier said than done!). For example, I try to give my first moments of the day to God. I start my morning in prayer and some Bible reading/studying. Whether or not this gets done literally makes or breaks the rest of my day. Then my husband and children come next. Then I tend to work, our family, friends, neighbors, and then to household things (that sure doesn’t make our house sound very tidy!). Of course all of these don’t happen in this order every day or most days, but I really try to divvy up my time and energies to these capacities. But as I said, this is the greatest area of challenge… keeping it all in the right place and time. Days so easily get “out of whack” and stay that way until we’re up from the pillow the next day to try again.

 

 

Tell us about your typical day!

 

What I’ll do is tell you about an ideal day for Katie! I say ideal because when I wake up each day, my goals for the day usually look something like this. But depending on how the night before went, if the kids are sick, any appointments are scheduled, and you get the picture, my day may look totally different. So this is how I try to make it work each day:

 

5:30am to 6:30am, wake up, head straight downstairs. Spend time with God… Reading/studying my Bible and praying

 

6:30 to 9am, Go to my husband’s office (I’ll explain a little later) and create a new daily illustration for oohmoon while my husband does the morning routine with the boys.

 

9am to 10am, Sesame Street is on in the background while I get my breakfast, finish feeding the boys theirs, clear the table and finally change out of my PJs

 

10am to 11:30am, Finnley (9 months) goes down for his first nap, I take Judah for a jog in the stroller and stop and let him play at a park 1/2 way through (my husband is working at home for the moment, so he stays on Finnley-duty while we’re gone). This is such a great time of day! I get exercise. Judah gets to play at the park, and I get one-on-one time with my firstborn.

 

11:30-12:30, lunch for everyone.

 

1ish to 4ish, NAPTIME! Judah goes down for 2 to 3 hours (yay!), and Finn for about 1 1/2 hours. This is the time of day that I have the hardest time deciding what to do. I always whisper a little prayer, “What is the best use of this time today, God?” Usually, I’m either wrapping up the illustration I didn’t get finished, working on another various illustration/design project, or getting to that never-ending laundry pile. Always something. Occasionally (since my husband is at home), I’ll even run to the grocery store at this time. Excitingly, my husband and his business partner are moving into downtown office space in a month! But this means I won’t have all the same luxuries any more. I’ve been prepared for this though.

 

4 to 5, Decide and start preparing what is for supper, Judah gets an afternoon snack at this time too (I probably do too!), Finn takes his last nap of the day.

 

5 to 6, Eating/doing dishes

 

6 to 7, This is usually our family time. We like to go for walks in the summer. Or we all play together in the living room… Dad and Judah wrestle (and sometimes Mom too), Mom and Finn snuggle or have tickle fights…. a couple nights a week at this time, we also have people over to our home for a group Bible study. Our kids all play together with a sitter, and us adults have snacks, visit, laugh, study, and pray together. It’s great!

 

7 to 7:30, kid bath time

 

7:30 to 8, read stories, kids to bed

 

8-10, Breath. Then count the ways this time could be used best. Usually, finishing up work, catching up on emails, folding laundry, writing blog posts, getting Bible study homework done, and fighting sleep

 

10-11, It is always my goal to be in bed by 10, but that almost never happens. It’s usually closer to 11 or 12. My husband and I are pretty committed to getting “us” time even if just for 30 minutes at the end of each day. And it usually happens much too late. But at least it happens. We like to just sit side by side and watch part of a movie, critique each other’s work (he’s a graphic designer too), or even just hash out life. Occasionally this is when he gets his haircuts from me too!

 

And that’s not to mention changing diapers, dealing with tantrums, yard work, smooching my husband, wiping noses (and other unmentionable places), play dates, planning parties, using the bathroom, cleaning house, making/taking phone calls….

 

Did you notice that no where on this itinerary is mentioned a shower!? Ok, so I really do shower! I promise I do! But as so many of you moms know, it doesn’t always get to happen every single day… and it most definitely doesn’t happen at the same time every day… nor in complete privacy!!

 

Isn’t my life glamorous? Ha! It’s definitely not that. A lot of hard work, maybe. But I have to say, I love every minute of it!

 

 

I can’t imagine how you can do one of your illustrations each day?  How do you come up with the design, illustrate it and then publish each and every day??

 

Hmmm… This question could be answered so many ways. It’s different every day. You know, working in series really helps this process. Not only do I not have to waste valuable time deciding what I’m going to illustrate, but the series lend themselves to similarities visually, conceptually, and color-wise as well. So, in many ways, Mondays are the hardest illustrations to create. I’m setting the tone for the next 6 days. But it’s almost always the most exciting day! I’m usually ready for something fresh! Part of my process each morning is spending a few moments with my eyes closed! Seriously! That’s where my sketching takes place. I have always been a huge sketcher for my design and illustration work. But this speedy of a process does not allow time for that…. but I really do take a few moments to close my eyes, and make a mental picture of what I’ll do. When you’re a visual person, it’s not hard to picture your work like this. It’s interesting how process changes it so much. What I picture in my mind before I begin the work is usually only relatively similar to what results. Most the time I’m good with this. Sometimes I’m frustrated that it’s not quite as I pictured. You know… when there’s a deadline, you just meet it. I can’t explain it beyond that. There have been a handful of times that the new illustration hasn’t been live until the morning… but that is only because “publish” accidentally didn’t get pushed at midnight. I promise, the work is always done by then. The best days are when both the illustration and the writing are done by the time I take over as mom for the day. This happens most days. However, for the past month and a half I’ve had sick children keeping me up in the wee hours of the night, pushing back my wake time (as I’m so tired), and so my work hasn’t been getting done on time. And I dabble on it all day as there are moments to work. It’s just all part of it. When you take on a daily commitment like this for a year, it just becomes part of everyone’s life! My husband is so supportive and helpful to make sure I get my work done (him helping in the mornings is HUGE!!) and my kids are so patient as mom disappears for a minute to go make another change to the file. In the beginning, I was pretty stressed with the work load. But it’s just part of my day now, and I’m afraid I’ll miss it when it’s all said and done! Really, it all happens and gets done by the grace of God. We all work together under this roof, but there are definitely nights I lay down on my pillow and go, “how in the WORLD did I get it all done today?” It’s usually the same answer, “The grace of God helping me.”

 

 

A favorite quote to share?

 

Favorite? I don’t know if I can just choose one. How about 2? I have a notecard flip book that I write down my favorite quotes from the Bible on and try to commit them to memory. I guess its my main source of reading and why I’ve chosen two from it. Here they are:

 

Psalm 34:8 (NKJV Bible) “Oh taste and see that the Lord is good;  Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!”

 

Psalm 27:4 (HCSB Bible) “I have asked one thing from the LORD; it is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, gazing on the beauty of the LORD and seeking [Him] in His temple.”

 

 

Where does the magic happen?

 

Ok, the magic happens one of three places.

 

A, in my husband’s office in the basement on his macpro. This is where I work in the morning. Everyone else is asleep, and so it keeps the house most quiet for me to be down there. Plus, he has a GINORMOUS screen, and I can have the speakers playing while working too!

 

B, it happens in my bedroom! Right now we are in transition of remodeling our basement. Our basement is where my office is meant to be. My office used to be my son’s room, but when baby 2 came along, guess who got kicked out! So now I’m squeezed into our bedroom on a tiny desk, my imac with a dual monitor, and just enough space for my keyboard and mouse!

 

Or, C, I work at the kitchen table on the macbook! If I need to work when the kids are awake, I’ll open the laptop and work where I can keep my eye on them. It’s also where I work when away from home. I can work any of the three places because the computers are all connect to the same server where all my work is stored. 

 

 

What are your plans for oohmoon in the future? This daily project is coming up on 6 months here soon, so we’re almost halfway through. I know I’m a bit addicted to checking in every day and seeing what you have come up with. And I think there are others! I’ve already started worrying about what’s going ot happen when the year is up!

 

The first thing I’m going to do when the year is up is take a week to sleep in!! Maybe I’ll ship the kids to grandmas for that week too! Or go somewhere with the just the hubs! Other than catch up on sleep, at this point, your guess is as good as mine! I seriously just don’t know. I have a couple ideas turning in the back of my mind, but I don’t think I’ve figured out yet exactly what I’ll do. I will reassure you and all our readers that I don’t think it’s all going to end! Don’t take my word on that for sure (who knows what life will bring), but I have a feeling it won’t be the last of me you see/read. My guess is the daily format might change somewhat. I have to say that I’m glad I have another 6+ months to think about it. If you (or anyone else) have any good ideas, do send them my way!! Maybe the answer is not known to me because we haven’t put our heads together yet! I do know that after doing this whole year together, I will not be ready to just up and say goodbye to everyone! Time will tell.

 

 

 

Awesome! Thank you so much Katie for letting us learn more about you!

Welcome Oohmoon and a Giveaway!

As you know from reading my blog, I’ve mentioned Katie and her oohmoon blog numerous times. She does an amazing piece of art every single day, then just gives it away! Gives it away for a day, but if you miss you it, you have to buy it. Pretty great deal if you ask me!

Yep, I’m at it again with another oohmoon.com project! I just love her artwork, so I’ve done a few projects using her pieces, including my advent calendar and  hoodie applique with gift tag. Here’s project Number 3!

Springtime Babes Wood Block Puzzle!

 

These blocks were inspired my some German blocks I had as a kid, and actually still do have!

I made them for my niece’s 1st birthday. They might be a bit old for a one year old, not quite age appropriate, but I got it in my head that I wanted to make these for her so I did… I remember playing with mine for years. Hopefully she will too! When I gave them to her, they were greatly appreciated!  Since I made these while on vacation, I didn’t have all my supplies. Including extra images of the puzzle to show them the puzzle that they would be solving! More to come on that one!

This week, Katie has graciously agreed to join I’m Feelin’ Crafty with an interview on Wednesday, an inspiration Link Love on Friday and a GIVEAWAY all week! I’ll also be posting a tutorial for the block puzzle this week.

OK, back to the Giveaway! Katie has graciously offered to give away a series from her blog! You’re choice! If you are a regular to her blog, but missed a day here or  there, this is your chance to get those that you missed. If you’re new to oohmoon, this is your chance to pick your most favorite series that she’s done so far!

Ready to WIN?

You have FIVE ways to enter! And be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry.

 1) Head to Katie’s blog and tell us which series is your FAVORITE !

2) Become a fan of Katie on Facebook.

3) Become a fan of Feelin’ Crafty on Facebook.

4) Subscribe to Feelin’ Crafty.

5) Share the Giveaway on your blog.

Winner will be chosen on Thursday, May 26 , 2011 at 9PM CST. Winner will be chosen using random.org and announced on Friday, May 27th.

I can’t wait to hear what your favorites are!!

Happy Anniversary to Me!

5 years ago today we got married! What a perfect day it was! And the most nerve racking thing for an outside wedding is the weather forecast… And lucky for me it was the most magnificent day for a beach wedding.

 

Handsome groom, wonderful friends and family, no shoes, sand between my toes, fancy dress,  and tons of DIY details make for an unforgettable wedding day!

 

I want to go on and on about the DIY details (and everything else about the day really), but I’m not going to. Today I am going to enjoy my husband and family! I hope you enjoy your special people today too.

Upcycled Planter with Tutorial, Guest Post by Jenny from SIDAC

Have you visited the really cool blog Southern Institute for Domestic Arts and Crafts??? I forget exactly how I stumbled upon it, but I subscribed my first visit. I’ve mentioned her blog before because this is where I found the wonderfully easy and cool no sew cape!  (We brought the one I made for my son on vacation with us. His request!) I mentioned on Monday that Jenny was going to join me for another tutorial on what you can do with a Charlie’s Soap Canister! Without further ado, Please Welcome Jenny to I’m Feelin’ Crafty and don’t forget to check out all the other cool things she’s up to on her blog!

Welcome Jenny!!!

Hi there everyone!  I’m so excited to be here today.  I’m Feelin’ Crafty is such a wonderful blog!  Louise has created such a beautiful and inspiring place to visit.  I just love it!

A while back, Louise and I had exchanged a couple of blog comments about Charlie’s Soap packages.  I had repurposed some of their old laundry soap bags as snack bags for my kids.

Then I found out the Charlie’s had ditched the cloth bags for plastic canisters! Bummer for me and the snack bags.  Louise contacted me to see if I had an idea about what to reuse the new canisters for, so I put my brain to work and this is what I came up with…

Here’s what you’ll need:

• a Charlie’s Soap canister, washed thoroughly
• potting mix, I used organic
• seeds
• a sharp object, such as a phillips screwdrives
• sunshine and water

I started by cleaning the canisters.  Louise was kind enough to send me a couple of hers, which I’m sure were pretty clean, but what could it hurt to wash them one more time?

Next I poked holes in the bottom of the canisters with my screwdriver.  These are for drainage.  Be careful! The plastic containers are hard and slick, and it would be easy for the screwdriver to slip off and hurt someone.

We then filled the canisters with potting soil and planted our seeds according to the directions on the package (or so we thought).

A little bit of water…

A little bit of sunshine…

We now have an indoor herb garden!

I decided to decorate the canister using fabric, paint, and Modge Podge.  It was my very first time using Modge Podge.  It was so easy!  I now have a few more ideas that I want to use it for, but that’s for another post.  I think that the fabric pretties up our little herb garden a bit, and the paint helps me to remember exactly what I’m growing there.  

 

I must have done something wrong though…my mint barely sprouted!  Maybe we planted the seeds too deeply.  I think that may have been the problem.  There’s one teensy tiny sprout that I don’t think I could even capture with my camera.  The cilantro is doing really well though!  When it gets too big for the Charlie’s container we’ll transplant it in our raised bed garden.

 

The Charlie’s Soap containers are just the perfect size for this kind of gardening, but really you could reuse just about any container of this size and shape.  Just make sure that you clean it completely before you plant something that you plan to ingest later on!

 

Thanks so much, Louise, for having me as your guest today!  It is an honor to be here!  And thank you all for reading along.  I’d love to have you stop by The Southern Institute any time!  We have a lot of fun things going on including the Creative Me Monday craft blog hop and lots of great guests, so come on by and say “Hello”!

Upcycled Drum with Tutorial

Well, I said the other day that I made something, just not kids clothes. Here it is… An upcycled drum!

I have been stockpiling my Charlie’s Soap canisters with the idea that they had to be good for something! But what…. I had totally given up on coming up with anything. In the meantime, my friend blogger Jenny from Southern Institute for Domestic Arts and Crafts, agreed to come up with something to do with these canisters. Check back on Wednesday to see what she came up with.

Then one night my son was drumming on something and it came to me, ‘Charlie’s Soap canisters equals cool drum’. I told my husband and he kinda shrugged it off as not being a very impressive idea. I had to go out that night, but when I came home, what did I find?? The canister had been turned into a drum! ahhhhh… (I don’t think I said I told you so!)

So here’s how I did it!

Materials:

Charlie’s Soap canister

Mod Podge

Brown Tissue Paper

Sponge Paint Brush

Fabric

Yarn

Thread

Knife

Scissors

Ribbon

 

Step 1: Cover the top of the  lid with the Mod Podge and glue on the tissue paper.

Step 2: Paint Mod Podge on sides of the lid and fold over the tissue paper. Be careful because the tissue paper wanted to tear during this step! Then set the lid aside and let dry.

Step 3: Measure the container. For the Charlie’s Soap it was 15.5 x 3.5 including my small seam allowances.

Step 4: Sew the fabric. First the edge seam allowances and then sew the ends together.

Step 5: Mark the holes to punch. I spaced mine approximately 2 inches apart. then stagger the top holes between the bottom holes. At each mark, you’ll want two holes. One for the yarn to go in and one for the yarn to come out. I used a push pin to punch the holes.

Step 6: Thread the yarn through the holes. I did enlist the use of needle nose pliers at this step to help pull the needle through the holes.

Step 7: Back to the lid. Cute off the excess tissue paper.

Step 8: Cut additional holes for the ribbon, through the fabric and canister. I used an exacto for this.

and wah-la… A really cool drum!

here’s the before and after shot…

 And the kiddo and his Marching Band of One

What would you make with a Charlie’s Soap canister?

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KCWC- Day 3, Bye Bye KCWC

Well, I had such grand ideas for KCWC this season, but it didn’t quite work out as planned…. I didn’t get anything made for KCWC Day 3….

Unfortunately, KCWC challenge fell on a pretty busy week for me this time. I took my exam on Monday… Not good as far as I know, but we’ll see when I get the results… This week I had planned on  having all my posts for vacation done, a new project each day for KCWC, everything packed for vacation, finish a quilt (that’s not actually even started yet) and get everything ready else ready for vacation. Oh, and did I mention work full time? Um, yes, I know now as I write this that it sounds insane. For some reason it sounded doable as I was planning it….

So, with all that said, I had to give up my ginormous KCWC challenge goals and decide to participate next time again…

Bye bye Kids Clothes Week Challenge, I’ll see you again this fall!

Ok, So I said that I didn’t get anything made for KCWC for Day 3, but I did make something! it’s a secret, but I can tell you this, a fun tutorial is on it’s way!

And lets talk about the technicalities of KCWC. Does getting your husband to make something count??? Even though it doesn’t include sewing? I don’t think so… But if it would, I did get something done for KCWC Day 3! I got my creative husband to make some t-shirts for my son and my two nieces!

 

This is the one for our son. My husband is getting to be quite the Yudu master. 

 

I’m all about the suspense today… a fun tutorial to come… and more on my husband’s creativity…. Stay tuned!