Peeps!

Inspired by this cool Peep Bunting, here are the stuffed Peep Bunnies!

UpCraft- First Foray into Smocking

One of Cecilia's Christmas dresses featured a lovely smocked panel, replete with Santa Claus, a festive reindeer, and wrapped presents.  After wearing it ONCE, I thought I would re-use the dress by removing the existing stitches and re-smocking a different design in the panel.  

Daddy's Pediatrics Program hosts an annual Alumni Duck Dinner every spring, and I thought a mallard duck motif would be perfect for my first attempt at smocking.  I checked out a few books from the Memphis Public Library on Smocking and Heirloom Sewing, and designed the plate from a combination of a few motifs I saw online.  Here is the result (about 5 days' work):

I also crocheted a little amigurumi friend: Mallard von Duckenstein.

Take Me to the Mardi Gras

This is a Mardi Gras card I made for my folks.  My father plays trumpet and has a long tradition of being part of Dixieland ensembles around this time of year.   One day, I'd love to get them down to NOLA, even if it wasn't for the Grand Fête.

Materials: A2 card blank, scrapbook papers, Fiskars corner punch, feather, and glitter.

Wonderland Valentines

This year, Baby Cecilia's Valentine theme was "Alice in Wonderland." (FYI, Sir John Tenniel's illustrations are part of the public domain, which is awesome.)  We'll likely do a different theme each year, and when her pincer grasp evolves enough to manipulate drawing and painting materials, she'll have more of a "hand" in their making! ;)

...Be Mine!

...Be My Valentine

...Will you be my Valentine?

...I want to be your Valentine!

Materials: Aleene's tacky glue, asst. glitter, Dollar Tree doilies, scrapbooking papers, Offray 1/8" ribbon, stickers, foam glue dots, and asst. button and beads.  

Ghosts of Projects Past - Royal Flush Valentine

I made this for my husband, Ben, in 2005.  He loves magic, particularly card tricks, so I came up with this hidden mechanism to spread the cards and reveal the message:

The base card (10) was glued to the A2 blank.  I used a small gauge punch to make holes in the lower left corners, joining the playing cards to the base card with a small brad.  I then punched a small hole in the middle right edge of each card, and knotted craft ribbon at equally spaced intervals.  That part took some trial and error, but the effect was fantastic.

In retrospect, I really could have dressed the card up a little more, but it was for a man, and they generally seem to be less than thrilled to find little specks of glitter on their person for weeks.

The greeting inside:  "It's in the cards."

Materials:  Playing cards (there are sooooo many cool decks out there- link to one of many on Amazon below), blank A2 card, construction paper, Aleene's tacky glue, brad, 1/8" ribbon, 

Fiskars hole punch, and, of course, you know, love and sentiment and what-not.

Ghosts of Projects Past - Sacred Heart Painting

Hail, most loving Heart, Inflame me! Consume me in the Burning Fire of Thy Holy Love, 2008

Mixed media on canvas

I loved everything about this piece.  Particularly the Sufjan Stevens-inspired title.  It was created for a charity auction, and despite my husband's aggressive bidding, we were unable to return it to the loving home from which it came.  I have always wanted to recreate it, along with a Sweetest Heart of Mary companion piece.  

Materials: craft-store oval canvas, glitter, sequins, acrylic paint, Mod Podge, Aleene's tacky glue, clip art, and wrapping paper, that I now see has become some kind of collector's item.

 

Gaga For Valentine's Day!

For your consideration:  the Lady Gaga Valentines.

Dollar Tree doilies, Martha Stewart glitter, asst. scrapbook papers, Michael's ribbon, and Aleene's tacky glue.  Fonts courtesy of DaFont.

Inspiration and Motivation

My mother was one crafty gal.  You name it, and she could do it: sewing, ceramics, make-up (special effects and beauty), and painting, to name a few.  Elaborate, prize-winning Halloween costumes were lovingly (and sometimes begrudgingly) created every fall, complete with full-face makeup; never masks.

In 1995, she swore to never again sew velvet after completing this masterpiece:

Yet only two years later, her sewing machine was abuzz with yards of red velvet as she created my prom dress from a picture in this book of historical costumes, WITHOUT A PATTERN 

I'm indebted to her for my sense of design and style, my love of all things "matchy-matchy", and my appreciation of the homemade and handcrafted.  I dedicate this blog to her.