Button Button, Who Framed the Button!

Happy Thursday!!  Well finally I have another craft to share :)  I wanted to make my sister and new brother-in-law something special for a wedding gift.  I bookmarked every wedding craft I came across, but ultimately I decided to go with something a little more timeless.  The one thing that I kept coming back to was a monogram - but what medium to go with?  Buttons (obviously!)  I've seen lots of gorgeous button-monogrammed pillows, but I was afraid that their playful pup might get ahold of it (and bye bye wedding gift).  So instead, I came up with this framed button monogram.  Same concept, but puppy proof :)

Here's how I did it...

Step 1 - Find/make an initial of the appropriate size for your monogram.  I used Word and played with every font I own (and some new ones) to find a typeface that I liked.  Nope, I have no idea what it was because sadly, I forgot to save it :(

Step 2 - Print out initial onto paper (alternately, you could also trace an initial onto paper if you happen to have some wooden/cardboard/metal letters lying around)

Step 3 - Buy a lovely background fabric.  I used silk for this project, but anything that doesn't pucker would work beautifully.  Cut the fabric to your desired size (my finished project was 8x10) and press it well.

Step 4 - Buy lots and lots of buttons in varying sizes and styles.  Lots.

Step 5 - Carefully cut out the monogram from the paper (OR for you lucky cricuters...just cricut the monogram and save yourself a step) and pin the cut (negative) paper onto your background fabric

Step 6 - Tape your cut image to a work surface (I used a pan from the dollar store)

Step 7 - Using your cut monogram as a guide, start building your button monogram.  I layed out the complete monogram before putting needle to fabric (because I'm anal particular like that)

Step 8 - Using your pinned monogram negative, sew each button on...button by pretty little button

Step 9 - Cut your background fabric to size and frame your craft of art :)

20 Pound Tuesdays - Week 1

Happy Tuesday!  For the next few months, Tuesdays are officially dedicated to my lamenting (ok fine, whining) about trying to lose 20 pounds.  Yep, feel free to ignore Tuesday posts because there are absolutely no craft or recipes here - just a constant reminder to myself to put down the chocolate!  I spent some of last week trying to formulate a plan for this crazy goal.  Here's what I got...USE COMMON SENSE.  Darn, I hate when that's the answer.  Apparently eating too much yumminess is bad and drinking water is good.  Veggies, yes...Cheesecake, no.  Why oh why can't cheesecake be yes?!?  Oh alright, enough whining.  Even though theoretically HAVE to use the scale to determine my success, I'm not doing public weigh ins.  Well, at least not yet.  Here's what my plan common sense is for this week:

• Drink water - I swear I've been existing on coffee and Diet Pepsi for months
• Run for at least half of my treadmill time - right now I do 12 minute bursts
• Add a second day of weight training into the week
• Eat healthy
• Don't buy junk food
• Take my vitamins (even with a calendar reminder, I somehow don't take them)

That's it.  All simple, but oh so difficult.

And last, but not least, here's a terribly unflattering before photo:

Apple Pie Time!

Happy Monday!  Well fall is definitely here!  The leaves are changing colors and the temperatures are (finally!) starting to dip.  This upcoming weekend marks one of our favorite autumn traditions - a big Apple Festival.  Tons of crafts and all things apple - total autumn heaven!  To get ready for this weekend's fun, our theme this week is Apples!  Bring on the pie :)

Letter of the Week: A
Creative, Crafty, Sensory Fun:

• Apple Collage (using red scraps of paper, foam, etc)
• Apple Stamping (using an actual apple)
• Apple Tree Craft (tissue paper 'apples')
• Apple Sensory Tub
• Apple Memory Game

Books:

• Apples by Jacqueline Farmer
• I Know It’s Autumn by Eileen Spinell
• Apple Farmer Annie by Monica Wellington
• Apple Cider-Making Days by Ann Purnell
• Apple Picking Time by Michele Benoit Slawson
• The Apple Pie That Papa Baked by Lauren Thompson
• Apples and pumpkins by Anne Rockwell
• The Apple Pie Tree by Zoe Hall

Sunday Joy List

Happy Tuesday!  So this is my blog, right?  Somehow I got a bit caught up in the crazy crafty side of things and my smoothie started to get a little off balance.  Crafty I am, but it's just one little part of what makes me...me.  And really, who wants the 2D version of me?  I'm sooooo much better in livin color (yep, I know I mixed my analogies)  So I'm adding in some more of the wacky (oh yes, I said wacky) me to this transcript of my life.  Okaaaay, now that I got that out of the way...

Over this past summer I've gained a little weight.  I'm generally a flux 5-10 pounds kinda girl.  And I'm up in the 9 3/4 extra pounds range.  I hate going into the holidays already maxed out (in both weight and finances) and really, I'm just a little sick of my belly bulge.  So this is my 'throwin it out there for the world to see' challenge.  I'm setting a goal of losing 20 pounds by Christmas (um...2010, just in case I tried to cheat later - oh yeah, I'm like that).  This is really a stretch goal for me and I'm hoping that making it oh-so-public will help me when the going gets rough... like tomorrow morning :)  Wish me luck!

Feels Like Fall

Well hello there!  After a bit of a late summer blogging hiatus, its time to get back to some Munchkin Theme Mondays!  The leaves are changing and the weather is cooling down.  That can only mean my favorite season is almost here :)  And since Munchkin's birthday falls smack dab in the fall, I'm sure it's going to be a favorite time of year for him too.  Here's our autumntivities for this week:

Letter of the Week: F
Creative, Crafty, Sensory Fun:

• L is for Leaves letter craft
• Leaf print painting
• Fall sensory tub
• Ripped paper acorn collage
• Paper stuffed football

Books:

• I Know It’s Autumn by Eileen Spinelli
• Dot & Jabber and the Great Acorn Mystery by Ellen Stoll Walsh
• Leaf Jumpers by Carole Gerber
• When Autumn Falls by Kelli Nidey
• Footballs and falling leaves : a fall counting book by Rebecca Fjelland Davis
• Autumn : Signs of the Season around North America by Barbara Turner
• Clifford's First Autumn by Norman Bridwell
• Ready for Autumn by Marthe Jocelyn
• Who Loves the Fall? by Bob Raczka