Knittin' Needles A Flyin'!

The weather has been so nice these past few days, it makes it hard to spend time inside and in my studio.  Carol had left a comment about a better photo of the blanket I posted earlier in the week, so I thought I'd share a little better photo as well as another knitting project I just finished the other day.  Here's the blanket - I hope to get it in the mail along with a boat load of other things that have been riding around in my car for a few weeks.......

And a second project - A new pair of felted slippers (minus the felting at this time) for my Sister at Heart Shelly.  I'd made her a pair a few years ago for Christmas and after much love and wearing, she has worn out the bottoms and needed a new pair.  So, these were my Survivor knitted pair of slippers (Shelly and I both love Survivor...our hubbies do too, so that's when I knitted these).

And that neat box with the red flowers on it - it's from my mom - she finds some of the neatest boxes.  I love these storage boxes and this new one is just FABULOUS!  Thanks Mom!

If you're looking for a fun challenge - make sure you stop by Shelly's Images - today is the Terrifically Thrilling Thursday Challenge.  The photos alone will make your day!

Thank you all for stopping by on this lovely day! I'm so glad you were able to spend a little part of your day here.

Happy Craftin'!

Min

Bugaboo Baby Gift

I wanted to share a project that I've been working on for several months after finding out that my husband's cousin was expecting her third baby.  This is my 'sports therapy' hobby.  We watch lots of sports during the winter (not much else to do in cold, snowy Michigan in the winter).  This is the second blanket I made this winter - the first was for my new niece, and of course, I FORGOT to take a photo.  The pattern in this blanket is called a "Basket Weave" and I love how it turned out.

And then there's the new baby card!  I didn't have any baby worthy images, but lucky Jodie at Bugaboo Stamps has eyes in my studio and created this adorable baby image!

Image - Bugaboo Stamps

Paper - Dots:  Doodlebug; Cardstock - Coredinations and miscellaneous cardstock from my stash

Technique - Magic Colored Pencil Technique & Embossing using Cuttlebug

Flowers - Primas

Punch - Fiskars Threading Water Punch

Miscellaneous - Velvet ribbon (Michaels), Brads, miscellaneous from stash, Googley eyes (of course) and Stickles (you can't really see them, but they're on the moon and the cloud.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  I hope you're having a great weekend.  We've got a few items on our To Do list this weekend (including enjoying some sunshine and nice weather on the deck.

Happy Craftin'!

Min

The Felted Slippers

So, on top of scrapbooking, card making & my mini albums, I also knit.  A few years ago when both my mom & I were 'relearning' how to knit, we'd try to take a class together each fall or winter.  One winter about 6 or 7 years ago, my mom and I took a Felted Slipper Knitting class.

I think everyone thought we were looney when we brought home a 'slipper' that looked like something a clown in a circus would wear.  However, because they were knit with wool, you throw them in the washer and guess what happens?  Yep, they shrink up like sheep in the rain and into something FABULOUS!!!

So, every few years, after the recipients wear the bottoms out, I start from the beginning and make everyone a pair of felted slippers for Christmas.  My dad and Glen usually get a new pair each Christmas.  My dad usually wears his out in 8 months, so it's gotten to be a funny gift between he and I.  This year I'm making 21 pair, hence getting started on CHRISTMAS gifts in September........

So, here's my start -

I made two pair last week (the purple & green) and have begun the first pair for this week.  I've made 6 pair in the last few weeks (I usually knit while we watch tv in the evening or sports.  My mom and I have also been known to take our knitting to football games, baseball games and pretty much any place else we can 'get away' with it.  You wouldn't believe the conversations we end up in with other people wondering what we're doing......:).

So, this is a slipper from the side, prior to felting - you can see the stitches much more than the second photo below.  This one is about 16" from end to end, just to give you an idea how they shrink down.

This is the felted slipper from the side (my mom made me these last winter).  I wear a 7 1/2 ish just to give you an idea of size.  They are the warmest slippers I think any of us have ever had and we haven't had a complaint from anyone yet.

 So, that's the story of the felted slippers. 

Hope you're having a great day!

Happy Craftin'!

Min

A little side hobby...

DOH, so I thought I clicked publish post last night when I finished typing this - guess I did not.
So, because my studio is in our finished basement, I have my knitting hobby that I can enjoy while we're watching sports. So, tonight we were watching the Wings play in the finals (not a good result....), anyway, I started working on this basket weave baby blanket for a baby shower. I'll be sure to take a photo once it's complete.
Happy Craftin'!
Min

Welcome to Friday's Edition!

Happy May!

Can I tell you how happy I am that it's Friday? It seems like this week was go go go all week. I had an album to get finished for a client (maybe that's why it seemed busy). The album went postal yesterday, woo hoo, but with this crazy weather, I've had a sinus headache since Monday (hence my lack o'posting and crafting....).

Anyway, enough about that - the rain has stopped (we've had that nearly all week too), but April Showers bring a nice sunny May. The weather is gorgeous today - it's a shame to be stuck inside at work. BRING ON THE WEEKEND!! So, here are the photos of the album I just wrapped up. I was kind of flying in the dark on this one - all I knew was that the couple was having a baby soon. What do you think? Did I do okay keeping it not too girly or not too boyish? I'm pretty pleased with the final product.

(Sorry for the dark photos - like I said, it's been raining all week.....)

Materials: We R Memory Keepers White Out Explorer Line, mixed & matched
Cricut: Accent Essentials, All Mixed Up, New Arrival, Zooballoo
Cuttlebug Embossing: Floral Screen, Distressed Stripes
Studio G Stamps
Msicellaneous: Googley Eyes - Joann's, Quotes & Poems - computer generated, Rhinestone Hearts & Dew Drops from Stash, Prima Flowers, Buttons & Brads from stash
Tonight I need to finish knitting a baby blanket for a baby shower tomorrow - nothing like waiting until the last minute, huh? Hopefully I can post a photo tomorrow.

Happy Craftin' and have a wonderful weekend!

Min

Family Album - The Rest of the Album

Hi there - Happy Hump Day! Whew, one more day and the long weekend can begin!
I had a quick minute and wanted to post the rest of the photos of this album from yesterday. Took a few minutes to crop all the photos.

Happy craftin - hope you're having a sunshiney productive day!

Min

TGIF!!!

Boy, this week sure has taken its sweet ole time, hasn't it? I've been working on several projects lately - a few chipboard albums I was hired to do, a few cards that need making and a little knitting too! So, here's one of the cards that I put together. I'm really am trying to use stuff that's already in my stash.....so, thanks to the 365 Cards Blog Challenge "Just The Scraps", all the papers and the ribbon came from my stash basket. The image is thanks to Aprile who hosts the MCPT Challenge each month. This little cutie came in my happy mail envie from Aprile along with my little 'Go Green' Lizard.The next project, well, this is my 'watching tv' project. Since my studio is in our basement, I usually scrap down there when I'm doing laundry, for an hour or so each night when time permits and during crummy weather. I'm not much for just sitting and watching tv - my hands have to be doing something and that's where my knitting comes in. I have to thank my mom for getting me started knitting, gosh, 6 years ago. A family friend was a home ec teacher many years ago and she re-taught my mom to knit. When I saw the neat scarves my mom was knitting, I had to learn too! It's fun to have a hobby I can share with my mom. Every year for Christmas I always try to find her some fun yarn she can use throughout the year. Every year she always makes me a pair of hand knit socks. They are the best socks in the world (I'll have to take a pic of the pair she made me this year). Anyway, we try and take a knitting class together every so often. The last class we took, we learned to make the felted slippers. Okay, I digress. Anyway, a few summers ago, I was in the yarn shop and found this great beach/market bag pattern. The reason I like this pattern is that in the summer, the last thing you want to be knitting with is wool. These cotton market bags fill my knitting void made with 100% cotton yarn. The Pink & Orange one I made for myself has been to Long Boat Key Florida, Puerto Vallarta Mexico, Aruba and I'm sure will venture to many more beach locations. So, after all that blah blah blah :o), here are the three bags I've completed this week. Playtime, Beach Bag Blue and Key Lime Pie. Don't you just love the names? I love how these projects SCREAM Summer!!! You can get your very own resuable market/beach bag at my etsy store. Handmade, 100% cotton and boy do they stretch. These cute little fellas can easily fit 2 large beach towels, sunscreen and a book or magazine with room to spare.
Thanks for stopping by! Have a fabulous weekend & Happy Craftin'!
Min

In the Knick of Time!

I finished the Family album last night, just in the knick (is it knick or nick?) of time to catch the New Season Premier of Survivor (yep, Glen and I both find entertainment in the drama of 16 people thrown together without clean clothes and food) and to start playing along with the Work of He{art} Online Crop at Scrap-Friendzy. I have to say, I think this season of survivor will be better than last season! We've already decided Fabio (the soccer coach, Fabio wanna-be) needs to be voted off. We LOVED the twists at the beginning AND the outcome of the first tribal council. So for those of you who are survivor fans, what did you think about last night's episode?? Okay, back to the crafty stuff - be sure to check out Scrap-Friendzy's Work of He{art} Online Crop this weekend - challenges started last night and will run thoughout the weekend. The girlz there have some fabulous challenges!! Go Check it out!! Last but not least - Here's the Family Album. Finished & being mailed on Monday to the recipient. What do you think?

Materials used - We R Memory Keepers: Hoopla Collection (I LOVE THIS LINE!!), Primas & Brads from my stash. I think everything cut out in this book was cut out with the cricut - carts used: Cuttin' Up, Jasmine, Joys of the Season, My Community, Opposites Attract, Stretch your Imagination & Walk in My Garden, I inked quite a bit with my usual go to ColorBox Chestnut Roan ink. Quotes and poem were found on line.

Thanks for looking! Happy Craftin' and come join us at Scrap-friendzy for some great online croppin'!

Min

Way too fast!

Happy Sunday! This weekend has flown by WAY TOO FAST!!!
Of course this morning I couldn't sleep in, so I spent the better part of the day working on a family album, a few cards and some other odds & ends.

So, because I'm not finished with the album yet and because the stickles are still drying on the cards, here's another layout I had finished. It's KIND of a repeat - it's a bit like the 2 I did for our parents for Christmas, but it was just such a great layout and photo that I had to put one in our album too.

Thanks for looking! I hope you had a great weekend! If you're anywhere where it's cold, stay bundled up and happy crafting!

Min

Project Overload

Wow, I can hardly believe that 2008 is just about over?!
Well, I wanted to share the Family Chipboard album I did for my favorite cuz' Eric.

He loved it! I put a few photos in it (not in these photos). We took a really neat photo when we were all in Mexico that I included, as well as a family photo from our Black-Out BBQ last summer.

I included a photo of the entire album and then a photo of each page.

Hope you don't mind all the photos! :o)

Thanks for looking. Tomorrow? A Scrapbook photo frame I did for each of our parents.

Happy Craftin'!

Min