A Paintbox Quilt

I've had this great jelly roll of quilting fabrics stashed away in my craft cupboard for a couple of months now just waiting for some inspiration to hit me with an 'aha' moment and I've finally had it!

As I was doing some craft blog surfing the other day I came across a quilt called a 'Paintbox' quilt and I love it. It actually looks like the the scrappy version of it is put together very similar to a log cabin quilt but I have to delve into the instructions a little closer to see if I'm right or not :)

So I hit the fabric store this afternoon and picked up some quilting cotton solids in fun bright colors because you know it's all about fun! *grin* I'm not sure if it'll be enough to finish but I definitely have enough to get started.

Set 1, originally uploaded by Little Bluebell.

Above is a sample of what the classic squares look like with 2 of each block created to contrast each other. This is going to be fun :)

~ Rosina

Valentine Paper Bag Books

We're seriously obsessed with Valentine crafts this year! Today we made super easy paper bag books and filled them with little love notes :)

If you have never made a paper bag book you've got to try it and they can be used for scrapbooking, homeschool projects, personalized for special gifts like our Valentine's book and so much more. Basically all you need is standard paper bag lunch bags and a stapler. After that it's up to you as to how fancy or simple you want to make them.



We took 3 paper bags, stacked them all on top of each other with the open ends all at the same end and then folded them in half like one giant paper from top to bottom creating a little booklet. To secure them together I used my stapler and put 3 staples parallel to the fold down the length of the book.



I really cheated for the front of the book *grin*. The pretty red heart paper that it is covered with is actually a napkin! We picked them up at the dollar store for our upcoming Valentine's party and I opened one fully and cut off a square, gluing it on for the background. Worked out fabulously layered with the little red & white heart for the title of the book!!!

Gotta love cheap crafting *wink*.

Making heart templates using one of our cookie cutters we traced 5 hearts in white cardstock and 5 hearts in the red cardstock. I made sure to cut the red heart out about a 1/4 of an inch larger than the tracing line so that it would create a nice color contrast behind the white heart.

We glued in each of the layered hearts only on the left hand side of each set of open pages so that it created fun little spaces to draw happy pictures :)

A paper bag book made with 3 bags will create 3 little pockets on the edge of your book for hiding little notes or trinkets inside. Since ours is a Valentine booklet we decided to use the little pockets for love notes *grin*. Taking a sheet of white cardstock I cut it up into 3.5" x 4" rectangles and then we stapled on bright colored ribbons to the narrow end of the rectangle creating a little pull tab for our notes.

I just love how cute it turned out with the staggered ribbons hanging out the side of the book. And if I think it's cute then you know my 6 year old is over the moon with how it's coming together! LOL

The final touches were for her to actually write her little love notes to be tucked inside :) I helped her by writing down the sentences she wanted to write and then she copied them herself onto the card stock.

You'll have to wait to see her finished drawings on the little heart frames inside as they are 'top secret' and mama is not allowed to see them until Valentine's Day *grin*. Have fun making a little booklet of your own!

~ Rosina

Flickr Favorites ~ Hearts

1. Sweeter Love, 2. My heart is yours (365/280), 3. Ispahans, 4. Corazón partio (39/365)

Valentine's day is just around the corner :) We've been bustling around making valentine cards, little felt hearts with 'I ♥ You' embroidered on them and planning our valentine tea party that we have every year.



So much fun, and I was excited this morning because our little 'I ♥ You' felt hearts were featured on Sew Mama Sew's blog today in a Valentine craft round up :)

I'd love to know what special things do you do on Valentine's Day?

Want to share your flickr favorites to? Visit Mitsy over at Artmind and join in the fun!

~ Rosina

Spring Has Sprung

We took full advantage of the sunshine today and went exploring for signs of spring :) It seems that our mild winter has catapulted everything into bloom! Yellow, my favorite color and perfect for these pretty maidens (crocus) all in a row *grin*.

Tulips shooting up between the sedum. Such gorgeous greens!

Spring heather bursting with lilac blooms.



And the plum trees are already starting to bud. Unbelievable! This time last year we were still covered in a foot of frozen snow and we didn't see a sign of anything green and lush until mid April when we finally started to thaw :)

I'm crossing my fingers that it lasts!

~ Rosina

A Birthday Celebration

It seems like it was just yesterday that my son was born at 10:50 pm after 28 hours of grueling labor *grin*. Oh was it worth it!! Today he turned 11 and he's not so little anymore :)

We kicked off his party with super deluxe burgers per his request topped with sausage, bacon, mushrooms & cheese accompanied by homemade fries. Wowza! I think I gained 5 pounds just looking at his plate *grin*. He swallowed it in record speed along with a frozen slice of ice cream cake.

Boys... they really are stomachs with legs! LOL

My mom got him a really great hardbound copy of C.S. Lewis' the Magician's Nephew. He loves the Chronicles of Narnia series so he's going to devour this book in no time :)

We bought him a model plane to build completely from scratch :) He's super excited to get started working on it but he's going to have to wait until his dad comes home tomorrow evening. He forgot to leave me the glue before he left for work and it's in the truck! What a guy *grin*.

There were big hugs all around and he even said it was the BEST birthday ever! You always know he had a super day when he says it was the best of something. Makes my mommy heart burst with happiness :)

Now if only I could figure out how to slow down the years so that he would be my baby just a little longer :)

~ Rosina

Heirloom Dresden Block Quilt

There is something so incredibly peaceful about hand sewing. I don't get to spend a lot of time experiencing this as pretty much all of my projects are done on the sewing machine! I have to say I'm envious of you ladies that crochet, knit or embroider for the majority of your time as you can take it anywhere. When was the last time you saw someone using their sewing machine at the bus stop or waiting outside their child's art class?! LOL.

This is one of my grandmother's quilts that my mother was so fortunate to be able to save before my grandmother was moved out of her home many years ago. I love the playful feel you get from all of the colorful fabrics and isn't the dresden quilt block just fabulous?

My grandmother belonged to the Women's Institute in her time and with the help of her fellow members they hand stitched hundreds of quilts for charity and hospital residents :) My mom has told me that she had spent many hours ironing pieces for her quilts and joyfully stitching them together, loving every moment of it.

This quilt isn't finished yet, just the top is completed and we actually have the backing that she had purchased to go along with it. I hope to be able to complete it in her memory. Perhaps I'll get the chance to create one of my own one day to... all by hand :)

~ Rosina

Heart'felt' Hearts for Valentines Day

When I think of Valentine's Day I think of plump little cherubs with bows and arrows, lots of heart shaped candies, and little 'Be Mine' valentine cards that you leave for loved ones in places they are sure to find them. Nothing says I love you more than a handmade gift, especially when it is made by a child. These little felt hearts are sure to bring a big smile to mom, grandma, aunty, or whomever you pick to share one with this Valentine's Day.

I actually wrote this article in the fall of 2008 for a Canadian homeschool magazine, but the article never made it to print as the magazine folded before it was Valentine's Day. So I thought I'd dust it off and share it with all of you :)



Below are the basic supplies needed to make your felt hearts plus a great practice heart for preschoolers that aren't quite ready for a needle and thread yet. All of this can usually be found very inexpensively at your local dollar store.
Heart shaped template on cardboard
Felt in multiple colours
Embroidery thread
Craft foam sheets
Magnets (optional)
Hole punch
Scissors
Needles
Buttons
Ribbon
Stuffing

Start by making yourself a heart shaped template on cardboard. We used a large cookie cutter for our pattern, but you can easily draw your own if you don't have something to trace. The cardboard will make a nice stiff pattern for your child to trace around with a pen or marker onto your colored felt and then have them cut it out with a sharp pair of scissors. Plastic kindergarten scissors will not cut through felt very easily if at all, so you may want to pre-cut some hearts for your younger children if you don't feel comfortable with them using larger scissors. Once you have your two heart pieces cut out you can start to decorate the one which will be the front of your completed heart with some simple embroidery stitches.

My son really wanted to make a heart with a little phrase on it. So we used a smaller heart inset into a larger heart as shown above and instead of having him stitch the complete words we used the letter 'I' along with the heart and the letter 'U' to symbolize I Love You.

Many of us have younger children that really want to sew just like big brother or big sister but need something really simple, so how about buttons? They are great for beginning sewers since all it requires is to go in and out of the holes, plus you can put a few stitches in first to secure it and they can loop around to their hearts desire. We created a cute little button flower by sewing three buttons on top of each other, adding on two green leaves which my five year old stitched some lovely veins onto and there you have a super easy flower to embellish your heart with. But let's not forget about the preschoolers! Who says you need to have a needle and thread to sew? You can make a quick and easy heart shaped lacing card out of a sheet of craft foam by punching holes around the edges of the heart with a hole punch and using a piece of ribbon or a shoe lace as the thread to weave in and out of it. Now you've created sewing fun for the entire family.

After you have finished decorating the front of your heart it is time to stuff it. Place the front and back pieces of your heart together with the right sides facing outwards and stitch around the outer edge with a simple whip stitch. Make sure you leave an opening somewhere around the edge so that you can get your stuffing inside. You can make it as plump as you like, and when you feel it has enough continue stitching up the outer edge until your heart is completely closed. Now that your heart is all sewn up you can attach a little ribbon hanger to the top of it or glue a magnet to the back with a little bit of hot glue so that it can be used as a fridge magnet.

The only thing left to do now is decide on who to give your heart to :)
Check out another one of our Valentine entries from last year to see what we did with all of our little felt hearts by making a Valentine Tree!

~ Rosina

How Crunchy Are You?

Bi-weekly batch of granola, originally uploaded by ahemler.

Definition: crunch·y ma·ma
adj. crunch·i·er, crunch·i·est

Mother who supports homebirth, breastfeeding, baby wearing, cloth diapering, co-sleeping, gentle discipline, etc. One who questions established medical authority; tends to be vegetarian and/or prepare all-organic foods.


Haha, I love this definition! I consider myself to be crunchy. Not uber crunchy but enough to make a good crashing sound when you chew *grin*.

I ran across a great quiz the other day entitled 'How Crunchy Are You?' and it asks questions about homeschooling, vaccinating, co-sleeping, diapering, personal products and more, so I thought I'd see just how crunchy I really am.

I scored 149 making me a Super Nutty, Ultra-Crunchy, Granola Earth Mama :) Wow, I didn't realize I'd score so high but I have to admit I'd like to be even more crunchy. Hubby says I've got the 'super nutty' part down pat and if I go any further he may have to commit me to the rubber room! LOL

Check out the quiz here and let me know how you score. I'd love to know :)

~ Rosina

Flickr Favorites ~ Macaroon Madness

1. Big Bite, 2. yummm, 3. French Macaroons, 4. Laduree macaroons, 5. Colorful Macaroons.., 6. Sweet Stack, 7. French Macaroons, 8. macaroons, 9. Untitled, 10. Lemon flavoured macarons stack, 11. Rose Lychee Macarons, 12. Macarons, 13. Pistachio and Rose Macaroons14. Not available15. Not available16. Not available

Oh my! Delectable little sweets in all the colors of the rainbow. Must learn how to make these!!

I've been baking up a storm lately *grin*. Seems that all we can think about around here is what sweet treat can mama make today! LOL. I had been swearing off cookies & cakes like the plague because they're so terribly bad for me. Like the old saying goes... a minute on the lips, a lifetime on the hips! But these, these are irresistible.

Who knows how to make them? Pretty please share your recipe with me *grin*.

Want to join in the fun? Visit Artmind to join in :)

~ Rosina

The Charm of a B&B

My mom is gearing up for another busy year at her bed & breakfast :) I do all of her online bookings and inquiries and actually just finished booking a couple that will be visiting from France this summer which will be fun for her.

So today we were playing around in the suite taking photos and getting it all ready for the coming visitors. It's a spacious 500 square feet with 2 bedrooms and a sitting area. The perfect place for a little rest and relaxation :)

We've stayed in a couple of different B&B's ourselves and I've got to say that personally for myself it is a much more relaxing stay when you have your own space within the host's home. This way you're not sitting awkwardly in their living room which usually looks very staged *grin* and you don't end up whispering because you're worried that you might giggle to loudly and disturb someone :)

You can't beat the hospitality that you get at a B&B though. I mean they really do try to make you feel like you are right at home and if you have never stayed at one I urge you to try it some time. The conversation around the breakfast table is always very engaging and if you happen to hit it at the same time as foreign travelers all the better! Y0u meet so many interesting people.

My parents have been doing it now for 9 years and it's amazing how many people send them cards or letters throughout the year, keeping in contact and returning for another visit just as if they were old friends :) How great it is to be doing something you truly enjoy!

~ Rosina