KRAFTS AND MORE!

Contents of this blog: Original hand crafted wood items, crochet, sewing, knitting, painting, drawing and also some How to's and craft tips thrown in! Enjoy!

Saturday, December 1, 2012

PEAR LEAF AND COFFEE FILTER ROSE WREATH

FINALLY finished my wreath made from the Bradford Pear leaf roses that I have been making.  I tucked coffee filters in between the branches and roses and I am so pleased with how it came out!
I hung it on the wall in the living room as it will not be weather worthy and really I can keep it up all year if it does not deteriorate...

Detailed pictures above and below 

I plan to use the photo below as a Christmas card.


Isn't it wonderful what you can do with nature's bounty?

Thank you for visiting and come again soon.



My Krafty heart to yours...

Sunday, November 18, 2012

SURPRISE IN THE MAIL YESTERDAY!

MY WONDERFUL DAUGHTER IN-LAW, Laura Marquart, sent a surprise gift to me in the mail.  Like everyone else, I love getting things in the mail!  I must admit that I teared up when I opened this heavy little box to find:
 A wonderful selection of 4" quilting squares, all pre-cut!  And a very nice card, "Thinking of You".  I was so thrilled and am thinking of all the things I can do with these wonderful fabric squares in their colorful prints!

Lucky, Lucky me!  Thank you Laura!


Today was windy and cold with rain and many more pear leaves had fallen when I took the little Chi, Lilly out this morning.  So of course I made another colorful Rose!

As you can see, the roses are overtaking the kitchen cart-ha!  I am going to make a Christmas wreath with them and will be posting that as soon as I find a good form for the wreath. :)  The painting above is one I did when Bill and I spent a month of October on our home town lake, Owasco Lake Auburn,NY about 5 yrs. ago or more, and I painted it while he was out in the boat fishing.  It was so beautiful and now a happy memory...  Notice the flat Iron on the right of the table, it is vintage and I painted a cabin under a tree and cloudy blue sky on the metal with acrylics and it cheers me to see it.

Thanks for visiting today and I would love to see what you are crafting for Christmas/and/or Thanksgiving.  Send pictures!
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving with many blessings and family around.


My crafty heart to yours....

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Onesie was a hit at the Shower

Good Morning!  Everyone loved the onesie I embellished and here is a picture of my Granddaughter Jessica when she opened:

And she also loved the hooded sweater that I knitted:

I did not get the afghan finished but that's okay, it will be done soon.  
This is called "Jamie" stitch and I have been making baby blankets and afghans for years with it.  It came on a skein of yarn. 
At the shower, we played a game where we had to guess the size of Jessica's waist by cutting off the length of yarn and afterwards her friend gave me the skein to make booties - ha!  Fun!  My daughter wanted to make a back drop for the shower where Jessica would sit.  She wove pink and White crepe paper and tacked it to the wall, it was perfect!








all in all, a huge success.  Here is a picture of the Mommy and Daddy, Christopher, to be:
I hope you enjoyed my share today, thanks for coming and come back again soon!
My Krafty heart to yours...

Friday, November 2, 2012

Embellishing a Onesie

I embellished this long sleeve onesie for my great granddaughter to be (January).  Her baby shower is tomorrow and I cannot wait.  I finished the hooded sweater I knitted and have some purchased outfits, too.  My granddaughter requested that in place of cards for each person to bring a baby book and put their own personal message inside.  I loved that idea and found a first picture book/reader today.




The neck embellishment is a ruffle I made from soft flannel and the removable skirt is made of eyelet.  I strung a ribbon through the waist so that it is removable and can be used with other onesies.  I was so pleased the way it came out!  

Adding a picture of my little Rose Bush that is still blooming for pink Saturday with Beverly at How Sweet The Sound.  To see more pinks just click on the link.  And if you would like to join in the Pink Saturday fun, you can link at the very bottom of today's How Sweet the Sound post :)
 This rose is still blooming and is so beautiful.

Thanks for visiting and come again soon!
      Don't forget to set your clocks back one hour when you go to bed Saturday eve or when you get up Sunday morning.
 My krafty heart to yours...

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Little Fall Vignettes

Want to decorate but don't have a lot of space?  Make little vignettes around the house.  These are comprised of Acorns still attached to the branch that had fallen from a Live Oak tree in our side yard.  I combined them with some fabric leaves from the craft store as our leaves have not changed yet, and love the brightness they add to any space.  In the past I have spray painted the little acorn branches with gold and that works out nicely, too.


 Or, you could add words of greeting to this photo and make your own fall cards.  See what you can come up with.  Also large oak leaves on a branch or alone look really nice on tables either natural color or sprayed gold.  Share pictures :)
My Krafty Heart to yours....

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Worth Repeating and Mum studies

Look in my left side bar and click on "Acorn Pumpkins"  A tutorial will come up so that you can make these:
Into these:
I have just gathered some more Acorns from the Live Oak Trees that grow in the neighbors yard and sprinkles the edge of my lawn with them.  I love fall and colored leaves and Acorns.    And here is some of my still life arrangements that I took from today and plan to draw and paint the subject matter.

 I think that this would make a nice card.
 I cannot wait to see what I can do when painting this arrangement.
 The little bottle is an antique medicine bottle. I gather feathers because I collect them and I also use them in my crafting e.g. drawings of ladies in feathered hats, using the real tiny plush feathers.
This photo I enhanced the color to bring out the vividness of the orange color. 
Another that would make a nice greeting card. 
the antique blue-green of the tiny medicine bottle.

I love creating vignettes and still life arrangements.  I hope you checked out the little pumpkin tutorial from 2 fall seasons ago and that you are inspired to make some fall studies from nature of your own.  Thanks for coming!

 My Krafty Heart to Yours...

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Leaf roses and finished Hooded baby Sweater

This is the finished knitted pink hoodie I made for my Great Granddaughter to be.  I am very pleased with the way it came out.  I later rolled the hem edge of the hood and it looks more finished and feels softer now.  I will wash it before gifting.

I had to share this idea that a friend on Face Book shared: making roses from Fall leaves!  They are gorgeous!! 
Doesn't this like fun??  Thank you for stopping by today.  I hope you all had a super weekend!  As soon as leaves turn here in SC I am going to try this.  I also think you could do it with fabric leaves from the craft store, don't you?
My Krafty heart to yours...

Friday, September 28, 2012

FEATHERS AND ALL ELSE

Good gracious, where has this month gone to?  It has been such a busy month!  I am almost finished with the hooded sweater I am knitting for my Great Granddaughter to be and making plans for her baby shower in November. 
side seams and sleeve seams need to be sewn, then all I have left is the hood to knit :)

3 buttonholes , now I need cute pink buttons... 















Sharing the feathers I collect that my daughter Barbie gave to me after a trip to the fruit and animal Indigo Farms, SC.  She found the feathers while taking photos and walking about. 















This drawer full of feathers are mostly from Canadian Geese.  All large white feathers are from the swans left in the yard when they are preening.




I bought a new pattern to start making toddlers dresses and cannot wait to start those!  So much I would like to do, and so little hours in a day-ha!























Can't wait to make one of these with the little matching headbands!  Sweet Pattern from Sz 1 to 3yr.

Do you have several projects going at the same time??  I always do! Thanks for visiting and please leave a comment, they make my day! 


My Krafty heart to yours...