maria's craft room

I Finished A Quilt. Really.

Hi there.  Hope you're doing well.  I am...I finished my first quilt.  Ever.  Finished it.  Really.  So remember when the Loonies gathered in Canada this past June and I went ca-razy in the fabric stores up there?  One of the things I bought was a kit with all of the supplies necessary to create this baby quilt.  The fabrics use designs from Cloud 9 and they're made from organic cotton.  So soft!
I really had no idea what I was doing as I put this together...I had my Janome Hello Kitty sewing machine in front of me and my laptop open to Google and went for it.  My youngest sister (the mom of the twins) is expecting her third child right before Thanksgiving and I wanted to make a keepsake for the new baby.  I channeled my inner Regan (she is the queen of rag quilts!) and dove in.  

I actually broke out in a sweat as I cut the squares.  That fear of failure creeps in at the oddest moments, no?  Anyhow, once I got the top layer assembled all I had to do was quilt it onto the flannel and then bind the edges.  I went with machine quilting vs hand quilting so that it would be more durable.    

The finished size is something like 42"x44".  That's my sister holding it up while standing on my mom's porch.  Yes, over seven months pregnant and she still has skinny ankles.  In fact, she still has skinny everything except for the beach ball she's smuggling under non-maternity tops.  Anyone else thinking the same nasty comments that I am right now?  Pfft.  Anyhow, there you have it.  I made a quilt.  Thanks so much for stopping by:)

Until next time...M

ps.  I'm so glad to have great friends.  You guys are awesome.  

 

Loonie Stampers Challenge #106: Fabric!

Hi there:)  It's Loonie time again and this week was Regan's pick.  She challenged us to use fabric...not that we had to actually sew something.  Being the rock star that I am (pfft) I decided to make a gift for my youngest sister's birthday.  She just turned 30!!!  I used some delicious Heather Bailey fabric that I bought while vacationing with my Loonies and made my sister a...drumroll please...shopping bag!

If you're going to shop, why not be eco-friendly and look cute at the same time?!?  I didn't have a pattern for the bag...just used a 1/2 yard of pretty fabric and then some cream scraps from my stash for the handles.  I actually made the handles really long so that she could throw it over her shoulder and still have room to carry an infant in her same arm.  Did I tell you?  She's adding to the existing twins with another little one in November.  So excited.  

And now I can't wait to go see what my Loonie girls did for the challenge.  I wonder who cheated this week...and how they did it!

Char   Dee   Jewels   Regan   Wendy 

Play along!  Link up your creation to the comments section under any of our blogs...we love to come visit you.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Until next time...M

 

Easter 'Basket'

Hi there:)  Hope you had a good Easter...we did.  My side of the family gathered at my mom's house for dinner last night and I brought along this 'basket' of goodies for my four nieces and nephews.  I say 'basket' because it's just a foil roasting pan lined with tissue paper.  Now that's going green!  Ouch - I know...a little too corny even for me.  But check it out --- I made some of those Rice Krispy treat eggs.  And hey, if you try it, make sure that your hands are buttered.  Well buttered.  Otherwise the mixture will only stick to your hands and not in egg shapes!  Once they've shaped and cooled just dip them in melting chocolate (I used pink) and decorate with sprinkles.  And of course I made little tags for them:)  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Until next time...M

Papertrey Blog Hop: Buttons

Hi there!  It's Papertrey's monthly blog hop and this time the challenge is to use buttons.  Perfect timing!  The girls who work in the school office with me have a little contest going on right now about who can wear their ID badge in the 'coolest' way.  I decided to use buttons, twill and linen thread to create the best ID badge lanyard in the building.  I even sewed a buttonhole by hand! 

Kind of beachy...I like it.  Thanks for hopping by:)

Until next time...M

Supplies:  PTI ivory twill; PTI hawaiian shores, aqua mist, spring moss and rustic buttons; SU linen thread; plastic badge sleeve

Happy Thanksgiving

 

Hi there!  Happy Thanksgiving!!  Before I start cooking up a storm today I thought I'd pop on and share a couple of things I've made recently.  Yeah...the pictures are pretty low quality, huh?  Well somehow the settings were changed on my camera and I don't know - yet - how to fix them!  Anyhow, the top picture is of the 'favors' I made for my little nieces and nephews.  I thought they might like a treat and I wanted to make it healthy, so I put a clementine in each bag and decorated it with a tag and bow.  I'm not seeing them today, so I popped over to see them for a little bit last night and gave them to them.  The girls liked them...the boys...well, they couldn't be torn away from their toys.  Hmmm...it really doesn't matter the age, does it?!?!

Well off the couch I go to start putting this meal together.  Slow and steady for me...I didn't tell you, but that cold I caught last Friday turned into a roaring case of bronchitis.  Lovely!  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Until next time...M 

Ghosts In A Bag

Hi there!  Hope your weekend is going well.  Thought I'd pop on here to share a cutesy idea I had for the Halloween gift bags for my little nieces and nephews.  I don't think I've seen this idea before...but I look at so many blogs that it's possible I'm failing to give credit somewhere.  If it's you, tough cookies.  Today's my day!   I didn't want to overload the kids with traditional candy, so I went with an assortment of individual packs of goldfish crackers, raisins, Tinkerbell fruit chews...and these 'ghosts in a bag'.  Just a bunch of large marshmallows in glassine sacks.  (No worries...their moms make them eat these in pieces so that it's not a choking hazard.)  I threw everything into decorated gift bags and off I went.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Until next time...M

Supplies:  tuxedo black Memento ink, Unity stamp, Papertrey ribbon and glassine sacks, hole punch, large marshmallows 

Going Green Can Be Pretty: Repurposed Card Packaging

Hi there!  Ok...you're probably looking at this first picture and going 'whaaa?'.  Here's the short story:  my friend Kathi is about to participate in her third Breast Cancer 3 Day walk and she needed thank you notes to send to all of the people who have sponsored her.  Ha!  Bet 'cha thought I couldn't tell a short story!  Well...you're right.  Here's the rest:  so I made up a batch  for her and hit a bit of a snag when I went to package them up for delivery. 

The snag?  I'd forgotten to come up with a packaging plan.  Yep.  See, when I do wedding invitations, etc. I immediately know I need to obtain a box for packaging and I'll purchase a special memory box for presentation (functional and professional).  Easy peasy.  And when I fill smaller orders I utilize clear, vinyl card boxes.  But somehow I just didn't make the connection in my head that the order for Kathi put me somewhere in the middle ground.  What to do, what to do?  Seriously, I sat in my craft room with my finger on my lip as I said that out loud.

And then my eyes landed on an empty shoebox that I have been saving.  Never knew exactly what I was saving it for, I only knew that I didn't want to throw it out.  Eureka!  The only problem?  I couldn't hand my good friend her order in a box that proclaimed it held size 7 and a half mules!  So I sat back down and put my finger back on my lip.  What to do?  What to do?  The solution?  One sheet of 12 x 12 My Mind's Eye paper.  See, it's a good thing that I have so many craft supplies.  I took the opportunity to tell my husband, too.

Note to self:  don't bring up the subject of craft supply purchases with the husband. 

Back to the box:  so I cut out one of the blossoms, curled it a bit and popped it on foam dots, added some May Arts and Papertrey ribbons and wrote Kathi's name on a Cuttlebug tag.  Here's the inside...turns out this shoebox is a perfect fit for standard A2 cards and envelopes.  I added some fresh tissue paper to ensure that they didn't move around and become damaged in transit.  Done!  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Until next time...M

A Graduation Gift

Hi there!  I'm back today with another gift...this one I made as a graduation gift.  And please forgive the poor photo quality...I took the pics in a rush just before gifting.  I think you get the basic idea, though.  Have you heard of that Baz Luhrmann song Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)?  Here's a link to the lyrics.  All I did was reformat on Word in a pretty font and print it out.  I sponged the edges with tea dyes to get it to 'match' the style of the MME background paper and then stitched it on with my sewing machine.  The entire piece is in a 12x12" frame that I picked up at ACMoore.  

Here's a closer shot showing the sponging and the stitching.  And want to know the best part?  The recipient liked it.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Until next time...M

Supplies:

Ink:  Papertrey tea dye duo

Cardstock:  Papertrey vintage cream

Other:  My Mind's Eye paper, sewing machine and 12 x 12" frame

Homemade Gifts For Fran

Hi there!  It's Saturday, the sun is shining, and I think there are pancakes in my future.  Needless to say, I'm smiling!!!  Today I thought I'd share with you a couple of birthday gifts that I made for my friend, Fran.  This first one started with the jar.  I've been using a lot of these jars for craft storage, and I had an empty one sitting out on my desk.  What to do...what to do? 

Make a homemade Papertrey button sampler, of course!  I happen to have all of the Papertrey button colors (what?  some women collect shoes...I have craft supplies) so I grabbed some of each and put this together.  I used pinking shears to cut out the muslin topper, used tea dyes to age the edges, and stamped the sentiment in the center.  One of Fran's favorite colors is olive green, hence the color combo for decoration.

This other homemade gift didn't photograph so well, but it's a checkbook cover.  Uh huh.  When you love eating crabs and you craft, a seafood-themed checkbook cover is a perfect gift, no?  *giggle*  Fran liked it and that made me very happy.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Until next time...M

Supplies:

Ink:  Papertrey ripe avocado, dark chocolate and tea dye duo

Cardstock:  Papertrey vintage cream

Stamps:  Papertrey Tags For Spring and Fresh Alphabet, SU Crab & Company

Other:  Copics, Cuttlebug tag die, Papertrey ribbon, pinking shears, muslin scrap, clear checkbook cover, half-pint Mason jar, Exacto knife (to cut the crab claws and stick in the sign)

 

Gift Bags And Cards

Hi there...it's the start of a new week:)  Hope you're doing well.  All is finally calming down around these parts so I thought I'd take a few minutes this morning to share the cards and bags I put together for the twins' birthday.  They just turned two and my sister had their party last week...we sat outside and had a picnic under a tree.  Poor Grace was suffering from allergies and not quite herself but Jack was in rare form and had a blast opening most of the gifts.  (We bought each of them a classic Disney DVD.)  I kept everything simple on the designs on purpose so that my sister could reuse the gift bags. 

Yeah...not the best staging I've ever done in a photo but you get the idea.  And yes, that is a binder clip sticking out on the side.  I had to get the cards to stay in place somehow!  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Until next time...M

Supplies:

Ink, cardstock, stamps, buttons and twill ribbon all Papertrey; ric rac by Wrights, bag by Nichole and papers are My Mind's Eye

I'm Baaaack....with a Baptism gift idea (:

Hellllooo!  I know, I know...I've been a little quiet lately.  But that's all over now!  I've been super crafty recently and I have a pile of pictures to share with you:)  I thought I'd start with a post about a gift I made for a little girl's baptism celebration.  I don't know about you, but I have a tough time coming up with good gift ideas for things like first birthdays, baptisms...I always try to come up with something keepsake-ish.  No pressure, right?!?  Well, one of my most treasured possessions is a cross-stitched piece that my mom made and gave me for my First Communion.  She had it framed and she signed and dated the back...the older I get the more I appreciate that gift.  And so I picked up Papertrey's Everyday Blessings set with the hopes of creating a little something to mark baby Olivia's special day.  We had to leave the party before gifts were opened (multiple parties to attend on the same day...don't 'cha hate that?) so I didn't get to see my friend's face to gauge whether or not she liked it.  I hope she did!  I attached a small piece of cardstock to the back of the frame with a message and the date...forgot to take a picture of that...oops.  Stuff happens.  It's a good thing that my waistline is plenty big enough for me to just 'roll with it'!!!  Thanks so much for stopping by!  I'll be back again tomorrow morning with a quickie first birthday card for a special little guy.

Until next time...M

Supplies:

Ink:  Papertrey dark chocolate and chamomile/chai distress ink duo

Cardstock:  Papertrey rustic white and spring moss

Stamps:  Papertrey Everyday Blessings

Other:  bling from my stash, distressing tool, 5x7 frame from ACM...I think.  I keep a stash so who knows!

Created By Courtney Challenge #32

 Hello...I'm back.  Thank you to everyone who's been emailing and calling and mailing beautiful cards.  (I even received a call from Canada!!!  I just about fell over when I answered the phone.  More on that in a separate post.)  I'm ok...I just...went into a bit of a funk.  I'm digging out now and I know this for certain because I re-organized my craft room last night.  As in moved furniture, etc.  Sometimes these funks happen to me...what can I say?  But thank God I'm coming out the other side!!  And there's no better time to return to posting than on a CBC Tuesday.  This week Courtney challenged us to alter a cigar box.  And she mailed all of us these cute, little cigarillo boxes:)  I went with the obvious and made it into a little purse.  Not much to this design...just add patterned paper, some twill for a handle and a stack of buttons for interest.

I can't wait to check out what the other Challenge Chicks created:

Courtney    Dani    Holly    Kim    Maria   Sparkle    Risa 

Play along with us!  If you leave a link to your creation in the comments section under Courtney' s blog  you'll be eligible to win a prize :)  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Until next time...M

Supplies:

Paper (Papertrey Ink), Twill (Papertrey), Buttons (Papertrey and Buttons Galore), Glitter Bead (Jesse James), Cigarillo box (unknown)

Here's the recipe...go bake your own peanut butter kiss cookies!

  Hello!  Hope you're doing well.  It's the perfect Saturday around these parts...slept a little later than normal, I'm still in my jammies, it's bright and sunny weather...and I'm in my craft room!  I'll have a few cute things to share with you later, but for now I thought I'd pop on and give you the recipe for the cookies I baked the other night.  These were a HUGE hit.  HUGE.  I took this recipe from the Betty Crocker Bisquick Cookbook and it's really just too easy.  (What?  Did you think I do gourmet cooking?  Hah!  Like I'd spend that much time outside of my craft room...)

Ingredients:

1 can (14oz.) sweetened condensed milk

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

2 cups Original Bisquick

1 tsp vanilla

sugar for coating (I needed 1/2 cup)

About 45 Hershey's Kisses (I used the milk chocolate ones filled with peanut butter)

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Stir milk and peanut butter in large bowl until smooth.  Stir in Bisquick and vanilla.  Shape dough into 1.25" balls.  Roll in sugar.  {Maria tip:  use a small but deep bowl to both make it easier/quicker to coat the dough balls and to reduce the amount of sugar wasted.}  Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until bottoms of cookies just begin to brown.  Immediately press chocolate kiss into the top of each cookie.  Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack; cool.

Give this a try...you won't be disappointed! 

Thanks so much for stopping by.  Until next time...M

 

I Baked Peanut Butter Hershey's Kiss Cookies

  Ok.  I'll admit it.  I'm posting this primarily because I like the picture I took of the cookies.  Now it's your turn to admit it - all of this melted chocolate goodness is making you wish you had one of these right now.  Mmmmm.  I want one and I don't even like peanut butter cookies :)  Made them for the husband as a surprise tonight.  And I bought him some Phillies tickets...shhhh.  Second row behind the visitor dugout on the 3rd base line.  How lucky was I to be able to score those?!?  So do you think this will be enough to get me out of cleaning the house for a while?  Hope so!!!  Thanks for stopping by.  See you tomorrow for the Loonie Stampers Challenge...M

Loonie Stampers Challenge #22

  Hi there!  It's Friday - whoo hoo!  And you know what that means...time for the next LSC!  This week was Regan's  pick, and she challenged us to alter something - anything besides making a card - and use pink.  So I headed on out to my local dollar store to see what I could find.  I ended up buying a little, bound notebook that was screaming for a makeover.  It was so ugly that I didn't even take a before picture!

The cover of the notebook itself was deeply embossed but I didn't let that stop me.  I adhered strips of Scor-tape along the entire cover and used that to secure my ribbon strips.  Yes, I have way too much ribbon on hand in my craft room.  Admitting that is the first step, right?!? 

Here's a better view to show you that I really did just wrap the whole cover in ribbon.  This is my first time using Scor-tape and I have to admit that it is as good as advertised.  I bought mine @ Papertrey, but I suspect there are similar products out on the market right now and you might be able to get one at your local craft store.  As far as the inside goes, I added another strip of the tape along the inside  front edge to secure the ribbon ends and then made everything neat and clean by covering the insides of the cover with white cardstock.

I hope you can play along with us Loonies this week!  Go visit the other girls and then link up your creation in the comments section under any of our blogs.  We love to visit you!

Char  Dee  Jewels  Regan  Wendy

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Until next time...M

Supplies:

Ribbon is mostly May Arts with a couple of pieces of SU gingham; dollar store notebook; Scor-tape; Papertrey select white cardstock