Up To The Highest Heights, Let's Go Drag a Kite?

With tuppence for paper and strings
You can have your own set of wings
With your feet on the ground
You're a bird in a flight
With your fist holding tight
To the string of your kite..

First let me just say, I'm very sorry that it's been many many days since I posted a blog. Between the Walk to End Alzheimer's, a 17 month old and school, I've been very busy. It's not always possible to set aside time to actually write out a blog. I have been able to craft a few things and since I had a few minutes I thought I would share them with you.

Let's Go Drag a Kite - Bonus Adventure Fail #1

I was reading the Summer issue of Baby & Toddler magazine while in the waiting room of my daughter's pediatrician. (Ms. Bean's fine, it was a check-up) And in the back was a craft section and one of the crafts they suggested was making a kite from things you have around the house. Admittedly this is a craft for older children, but since Vegas is never short on wind, I thought it might be a fun project to share with Ms. Bean anyway.

The instructions were overall easy to follow, but near the end they get a bit technical. I've never tried to make a kite before and I got a little lost. Oh, don't try to improvise, use the materials they suggest. For instance, I used wrapping paper for the sail (wind catching material) and chopsticks for the spars (framework), but the chopsticks were too heavy and I'm sure that's one of the reasons it wouldn't fly. 

Bean seemed to have fun dragging the kite all over the back yard and standing on it, so it wasn't a complete bust. I am fairly certain that no one will be calling me a kite-smith, either.

Bean dragging her kite around

So here are a few pictures and the steps it takes to make a kite.

Step #1

Trace your pattern on to your sail material (see below) and cut it out.

It's supposed to be a cat, but it could easily be a bear or a dog

Step #2

Fold sail in half to confirm if it's symmetrical. Trim if necessary.

Step #3

Decorate the surface of your kite. This is the side that the framework will be attached to, so keep that in mind.

Step #4

Tape the spars to the front side of the kite. (pattern below)

Step #5

Tape your tails to the bottom of your sail (see pattern below) I used a plastic store bag cut it into strips for my tails. They recommended a looped tail, but I didn't read that part originally. Since my kite didn't really fly, I think that is probably a better idea then what I used.

See how my tails are fluttery? Apparently I shouldn't have snipped them & just left them connected in a loop.

Step #6

Reinforce the towing points (see pattern) with a piece of tape and poke a hole in each taped area. With the

decorated side facing up, attach the bridle. Here's where it gets a little technical. It may behoove you to check the internet for instructions that are little clearer than my summary.

Pattern - I have no idea if you can read this. I'll try to post it on Pinterest and link that here.

Step #7

Okay, so now you suspend the kite and pinch the bridle in the middle and attach a knot with a loop at the end. Make sure when the kite is suspended by the loop that both sides align. Yeah, I have no idea if I did this part right.

Step #9

Tie the flying line securely to the bridle loop.

And your ready to fly.

Or stomp on it, as the case may be.

Here's the first page of the instructions with the materials suggestions:

Overall it's a cute project that has nice potential, especially if your kids are a little older. I highly recommend reading up a bit on kite making just to make sure that the instructions make sense to you, because I was winging it the whole time. With that said, I'd like to try this craft again, maybe in the spring and see how it turns out.

 

And that concludes my first Bonus Adventure Fail!

Stay Crafty! and remember..  

Sucking at something is the 1st step to getting sort of good at something. 

Jake from Adventure Time

Updates, Updates, Updates and Randomness (prt1)

For disappearing acts, it's hard to beat what happens to the eight hours

 supposedly left after eight of sleep and eight of work.  ~Doug Larson

I really do take on too much. My brain just doesn't seem to grasp that we really don't have as much time as it thinks we do. Between Toddler care, school work, trying to maintain some semblance of order regarding my domicile, family obligations, pop up projects (ie broken things and last minute items) and squeezing in just enough time to watch an episode or two of Boardwalk Empire before passing out for the night, well, I just don't have time for much else. With that said, please be patient with me in regards to my blog postings over the next couple weeks. I'm pretty sure they are going to be a bit erratic.

Let's do this - Updates Begin, Now!

Walk to End Alzheimer's

The fundraising is going really well. However, I have only been sharing the Las Vegas Ladybugs Team page, and since I also have a personal goal, this week I'm sharing my personal page. No matter which team member's page you donate through it all goes to the Las Vegas Ladybugs goal and ultimately to the Alzheimer's Association.

Don't forget every $10 donation gets you an entry into the raffle for the Date Night & Dinner for a Week drawing. Every $25 donation gets you five entries. It's a cool prize and a great cause. (original blog post - Excelsior!)

As always we greatly appreciate your support, whether you make a donation or just share my fundraising page. Every little bit brings us closer to our goal.

Walk to End Alzheimer's Fundraising Page

Las Vegas Ladybugs Team Logo! By team member Tina Verde

 

Part Deux

Here are the pictures from the baby shower I promised:

Blankie- 'Mike' side for a Monster's Inc. themed nursery

Blankie- 'Sully' side

Woobies the cute all purpose baby gift

Beanie trying very hard to reach the top of the shelf

Soon to be mommy - Becca <3

This week I did a few random Bonus Adventures and I'll post those updates over the next couple days. I also finished one Craft Adventure Venture, but I haven't taken pictures yet, so as soon as that is done, I'll post that too.

Finally both the Walk to End Alzheimer's and Halloween are fast approaching. I need to get t-shirts, signs and doodle bob headbands made for the walk and Halloween costumes completed. For the next couple weeks that's what I'm going to focus on for my Craft Adventures.

Thank you again for your support and donations to the Las Vegas Ladybugs fundraiser for the Walk to End Alzheimer's and keep up the great work.

Stay Crafty!

I Should Have Named This Blog The Hapless Crafter

Don't think it hasn't been a little slice of heaven...'cause it hasn't! - Bugs Bunny

Where do you even start with the week I'm having? Let's just say it's been a bit rocky all over and move on.

Going with the Flow
I have come to the realization that Friday blog posting might not work for me while I'm in school. While both of my classes are Online, they still come with a pretty intense course load and I'm using Friday night as a big study night. It's hard to think about writing my blog when I'm stressing about an assignment. Most of my due dates have been Wednesdays and Saturdays, so if I push my blog post day to Saturday, I should be good. Hooray for new blog day!

Being Part of my Community
If you didn't read my previous blog you may not know that I'm participating in the Walk to End Alzheimer's this October. My fundraising got off to a rocky start, but I think we have the situation in hand now and it seems to be getting a fairly decent response. Still lots to do, but I'm very confident that our little team will reach our goal. If you would like more information please read my previous blog -Alzheimer's Walk Blog. As I said in the blog, any donation is greatly appreciated. But spreading the word is also very helpful, so please share the blog or the Team Fundraising Page and help us get the word out.

The Fuggaley Blanket
This week I did not finish a Craft Adventure Venture, I was only able to complete a Bonus Adventure. That wasn't my intention, but that's how it turned out. You see, my daughter kept snagging the left over ultra cuddle fleece from a previous blanket project and carrying it around. I seriously couldn't keep her away from it, so I decided I would just turn the left overs from other projects into a blanket for her. It was supposed to be a fun, easy, quick throw together blankie and then I could move on to other things. It turned into a 3 day ordeal that ended in the ugliest blanket I've ever made. To be fair, Ms. Bean doesn't see to care or notice; but I know and it bothers me. I don't know if you've noticed, but I don't have a lot of patience and some of my projects really irk me and I end up just plodding through it or throwing my hands up and saying Lump This! That's what happened here.

First let me say that I have no idea what happened. I measured my left over piece for the back and figured out the number of squares I would need for the front and I still somehow ended up needing a random square to finish the pieces. By the way, 16 month olds do not make good blanket assistants. I still have no idea what happened to the 2 squares of green fabric she ran off with. She must have a really good hiding place cause I looked ALL over.

Side Note:
(This will probably work for all quilty type blankets, but I only every make the patchwork kind, so if you are planning on something a little more intricate, I'd do a search on the ol' interwebs.)
Figuring out the number of squares you will need for your blanket top - You measure the blanket back, in my case it was 36x24 and then divide by the size of square you want to use. I was planning on using 6" squares so I divided both 36 & 24 by 6 = 6 & 4, so now you know you will need 6 -6" squares across and 4-6" squares wide. If you multiply these two numbers together you get the total number of squares needed to finish your top - 6x4=24. Then you take the number of fabrics you are using, in my case it was 2 and divide that by your total - 24\2 =12. You will need 12 -6" squares of each fabric.

Back to Blankie - After fighting with my daughter about who gets the scissors, which fabric she could play with, chasing her down the hall to get the squares back and trying to convince her that I really did need that piece of soft fabric, I put Ms. Bean down for her nap and actually made some progress with the blanket. But as I was sewing my squares together..

Side Note:
Right sides together, 1/4" seam, end to end until you reach your row length, (6 pieces for this project). Then you take your rows and right sides together, 1/4" seam, side to side till you reach your width (4 rows across). Then you square up your top & you should be ready to sew it to your back piece.

..I realized that I had somehow missed several pieces of the green fabric and that I was 1 piece short for the total blanket top. I did my math, I counted my squares, I really do not know what happened. I found a cute piece of fabric, that totally doesn't go with the rest, but by this time I just wanted the lumping* thing finished and finished the top of the blanket. At this point it was quirky, but still looking okay as far as blankets go. Normally at this point I would put the front and back pieces together (right sides), sew all around except for about 3" and flip it inside out, but this time I thought, well I'm using that left over binding, why not just top stitch the two together and cover that with the binding and it will save me some time. Famous last words.

What I have discovered is that ultra cuddle fleece, while one of the softest man made materials I've ever felt is a gigantic pain in the lower extremities to work with. It's slippery, doesn't play well with other fabrics and sheds like a collie in mid summer. Despite vacuuming there are still tiny fluffy blue fabric bunnies blowing around the house. Unless I absolutely need to, I'm not using it again. There are other really soft fabrics that don't frustrate me so much and I'll stick to them. So yeah, the top and the bottom didn't really match up because ultra cuddle fleece is a big fat meanie, but I hadn't yet given up. I still had the blanket binding, surely that would hide the imperfections. Nope. All I can say about the binding is that I finally figured out how to miter the glomping* corners.

Links:
Using Bias Tape - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fEv3VXPUEs
Miter Corners - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkacizsdTkk

Fuggley Blankie is done, some of it's seams show, it's lumpy in the corner, it has puckers in places where the two fabrics didn't match up. I have to fix a place on the top where the mismatched fabric pulled apart from the other pieces. It's the worst blanket I've ever made. Even when I first started teaching myself how to make blankets, they turned out better than this one. Ms. Bean doesn't seem to care, she likes it, so I guess that's all that matters. *head shake* That muddled mess of fabric is going to become a cherished piece of her childhood and it's the ugliest thing I've made for her. I really should have named this blog The Hapless Crafter.

AND NOW...Cute pictures of the kid

It doesn't look bad in this picture

A blankie and a binky, what more could a girl ask for?

With her dolly & blankie on the couch

Total for this week - 0 Craft Adventure Ventures, 1 Bonus Adventure

Totals - 10.5 Craft Adventure Ventures & 1.5 Bonus Adventures

41.5 Craft Adventure Ventures To Go!

Stay Crafty my fellow adventurers! 

And in the immortal words of Dory the fish "Just Keep Swimming, Swimming, Swimming. Just Keep Swimming.'

*PG rated expletive replacement

Making the World a Better Place - Excelsior!

UPDATE regarding fundraiser

This is just a quick blog to share some information and help out a great cause. I promise a more 'Craft' oriented blog tomorrow.

I walk almost every year for the Alzheimer's Association, it's a disease that has greatly affected my family and continues to have an impact even today. It's a group that I feel very strongly about helping and in most years it's just been me raising funds, sharing the Alzheimer's work and information and walking during the Walk to End Alzheimer's event. I always set lofty donation goals and this year is NO exception. The difference this year is that I have a group of wonderful people walking with me - The Las Vegas Ladybugs!

Made up of friends & family we chose the name in honor of my Mother who passed away two years ago from Early Onset Alzheimer's. (It's an inside joke that I'm sure would both embarrass and amuse my Mom.) Our donation goal is $1500 and I know that's a lot, but with dedication and imagination I'm sure that the eight of us will be able to do it or at least come very very close.

In order to reach our goal we need the help and support of friends and family. Not just monetary support, but by sharing our fundraising page and letting people know about our fundraiser. Each week we will share a new fun opportunity to help us reach our donation goal. (This week is the raffle for a great prize.) So please share this with your friends and family, the more people who see it the more chances for us to raise money and reach our goal!

Here is a link to our Team Fundraising Page sponsored by The Alzheimer's Association:
http://act.alz.org/site/TR/Walk/AZ-DesertSouthwest?team_id=53956&pg=team&fr_id=1591

UPDATE! After careful consideration, we have decided to change the format of our fundraising.  

This week starts a RAFFLE (no longer an auction) for this super cool prize below.

5 - Restaurant Gift Cards + 2 Movie Tickets = 1 Amazing Package (value aprox. $150)

The gift cards were a very generous donation from my cousin Kelli Adams Stein. 

Important Information

• For every $10 donation made to the Las Vegas Ladybugs Team Fundraising page you will get 1 (one) Raffle Entry.
• For every $25 donation made to the Las Vegas Ladybugs Team Fundraising page you will get 5 (five) Raffle Entries.
• You MUST list your name with your donation on the Team Fundraising page to get your raffle entry. If you make an anonymous donation, I will have no way to verify your entry. Anonymous entries will NOT receive a raffle entry.
•  Raffle is open to anyone 18 and over.
• All proceeds go directly to the Alzheimer's Association Walk to End Alzheimer's. 
• Donations must be made via the Ladybugs Team Fundraising page (http://act.alz.org/site/TR/Walk/AZ-DesertSouthwest?team_id=53956&pg=team&fr_id=1591) or in person via check made payable to The Alzheimer's Association.
• Prize can either be mailed or picked up in person.
• The prize includes all 5 of the gift cards and 2 movie tickets as a group and can not be pieced out. 
• For more information or to make a donation please email me: professorflotsam@gmail.com

*Raffle will run from Friday, September 7th, 2012 at 12pm 

through Saturday, September 29th, 2012 at 6pm.

To receive your entry into the raffle you must make your donation via check (made out to The Alzheimer's Association) or online through the Las Vegas Ladybugs Fundraising page no later then 5:59p on Saturday, September 29th, 2012.

Raffle drawing will be held live via webcam on Sunday, September 30th, 2012. -More details to follow.

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog and it's update. 

Thank you if you share this blog or the Las Vegas Ladybug's Team Fundraiser page.

Thank you if you make a donation, even if it's only a few dollars. 

One more truly heartfelt Thank You if you participate in the raffle or any of the other fundraisers.

Study Bees Aren't Bloggy Bees or I'm a Day Late & Dollar Short

Can I just say that going back to school after not being in school for 10 years, is overwhelming. And I'm not even full time. Maybe it's the little human, but I'm thinking I'm just rusty. On top of it all I accidentally signed up for an 8 week class, instead of the normal 16 week class, so it's all accelerated. Seriously, I should know this, it's only like Rule Number 1 - Read the Lumping* Directions! In this case, Read the Glomping* Course Info!

This week I had a baby shower gift to complete. It turned into a two-parter because the Future Mama didn't know how they were going to decorate the soon-to-be Baby's room and I had a really good coupon I didn't want to go to waste. I had a couple of ideas but settled on the combo of my 'Go To' baby gift - The Woobie (aka Burp Cloth) and a super soft baby blanket to match the room's decor.

The Woobie
I found the tutorial below*** while I was pregnant with my daughter. I had all these scraps of random, but super cute Japanese fabrics and had no clue what I was going to do with them and this project seemed to fit the bill. I made like 6 for myself and then 3 for a friend who was also pregnant. I think a set of 3 of these is such a cute, nice, very useful gift. Let me explain why - you see The Woobie is a multi-tasker and when you have kids multi-taskers are a life saver. The Woobie is more then a spit up catcher, it's also a sun shade, an impromptu carrier blanket, a neck roll so their little heads don't get all crooked in their stroller, a peek a boo curtain and yes, even an emergency diaper. And when they get older it can be a security blanket, a doll blanket, or you can turn it into a purse or backpack. I love The Woobie. I wish there was an adult equivalent. Anyway.. The new parents are huge Disney fans so I found some cute Mickey fabric and whipped up 3 of those bad boys.

The Blanket
Initially I was going to make something besides a blanket, because you get so many blankets when you have a baby. It's like the only gift people think of if they know they are going DIY on the present. My search for something other than a blanket didn't really pan out, I just didn't see anything I really liked. I had dabbled with the idea of a Tab Blanket and making it in a Disney inspired shape, but the finished product seemed too small and tab blankets can't pull double duty anywhere, so I nixed the idea. Then I was going to make one of those Rice Bags**, but they have dogs and I was worried that it would get eaten. Then I got an offer for a free pattern and that pretty much sealed it. (link below****) Their theme turned out to be Monsters Inc. I was really hoping to find a blue fabric with purple polka dots, but I couldn't find one. I'm still limited by lack of transportation, so I can't really hunt around. Instead I settled for a fabric in the correct blue called Ultra Cuddle Fleece. Even the name sounds squishy and cozy. It really is soft. In fact my daughter kept stealing it while I was trying to cut it down to size.

Yuup, Helpin'

Totally Helping

I kept the blanket really simple for time reasons and because I figured they would use it more if it wasn't all fancified. All manner of disgusting things come out of newborns and I remember not wanting to use some of my gifts because I knew they would be ruined. Blankie is made of super soft fuzzy Sully Blue on one side, a soft cozy flannel Wazowski Green on the other and I trimmed it around with the Sully Spot Purple bias tape. It's big enough that they can wrap her up when they go out, drap it over the stroller/carrier, lay it on the floor for Tummy Time, plus when they convert the crib to a day bed it will just cover the mattress. But wait! there's more! - it's all machine washable. You gotta love the multi-taskers.

The Blog Fail
As I mentioned on Friday, I blanked on the photos of the gifts. I even brought my camera to the party so I could take a picture of her with it and didn't take one. *thuppt* Instead here's a picture of the left over fabric and the one Woobie I had to fix before I give it to her. Do you see the kind of week I had. Too bad you can't feel how soft that blue fabric is, you would totally forget that it's not a picture of my awesome blanket.

Now just imagine a totally cute blanket.

Here's Beanie on the way to the shower in her cute frog dress and polka dot tights playing in the dirt. Cause that's what 16 month olds do.

Dirt all over the front of your dress is cool at a party, right

Total This Week - 2 Craft Adventure Ventures 

Grand Total: 10.5 Craft Adventure Ventures 

41.5 Craft Adventure Ventures To Go!

Links-O-Rama!!
Because I used so many techniques and tutorials to make these gifts I just lumped them all together in one place. It'll just be easier. With that said most of these I looked up originally for other projects and just used what I learned from them over & over. For instance, you can use bias tape for blankets, clothes, household items, costuming, it's pretty versatile stuff and knowing how to use it properly will save you headaches later. (I actually have a bias tape maker, but I haven't been brave enough to use it.)

Here's my favorite tutorial on using bias tape: (I think it's the popcicle stick faces. What can I say, I'm easy to amuse.)
http://youtu.be/4fEv3VXPUEs

For this blanket I copped out on my mitered corners. It just wasn't happening and I was starting to stress and when I'm stressed I make GIANT mistakes and cry.
Anyway here's a good tutorial on how to miter a corner while using bias tape. (So you don't cry.)
http://smashedpeasandcarrots.blogspot.com/2011/01/how-to-sew-bias-tape-tutorial.html

I had another bias tape tutorial, but somehow I lost it. Lame.

****Free Pattern!! I really like this website, lots of great information and you can take classes. I want to take a bunch of their classes, but I haven't had the time to set aside. Maybe over the semester break I'll sign up and take one. Or just sleep, either sounds great.
So, yeah, this is the tutorial that inspired the blanket. I've made blankets before, but the sizes always throw me. I have NO idea what size a blanket is supposed to be or how much fabric I need to make it happen. (One of the down sides from being self taught.) But this one sums it up nicely and gives you 3 options on top of it all.
http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/sewing/home-decor/receiving-blanket-pattern/10531

Speaking of blanket sizes, look what I found today on Pinterest:
http://www.craftastical.com/2009/08/tutorial-baby-clothes-quilt-from-start.html
BAM! Blanket Sizes! It's like the Gods heard my crafting prayer. I am making so many blankets.

Wait, what about the Burp Cloths/Woobies? - Here you go, but seriously the internet is full of Burp Cloth Tutorials. These will definitely get you started.
***My Favorite or the one that started it all: 
http://www.diaryofaquilter.com/2010/01/perhaps-easiest-burp-cloth-tutorial.html
And a few more just in case:
http://www.makeandtakes.com/baby-burp-cloth-tutorial
http://www.craftaholicsanonymous.net/super-duper-easy-burp-cloth-tutorial

I'm done now.  Stay Crafty!

*I'm trying to keep this blog PG so, feel free to insert any expletive you like best. 

** What the Lump is a Rice Bag? It's a little bag you sew and fill with rice and then sew a little sleeve around that. Then you can microwave it to put on your owies or you can throw it in the freezer to put on your boo-boos. They are actually really nice gifts for preggo ladies because near the end everything gets super achy and they make it feel better. They also help with swelling. Or at least they did for me.

I think I may have bitten off more than I can chew..

No, I didn't forget to write my blog.

Yes, I finished my gifts for the baby shower and it was liked & appreciated.

No, I don't actually have a photo of it. Totally slipped my mind that I hadn't taken them until I had everything wrapped. And then at the shower I was supposed to take pictures, but Ms. Bean was trying to climb the wine rack and I was a little distracted. I'm working on getting one, one was taken, I just need to see if I can get a copy..

School is kicking my butt, so even though I really wanted to get a blog done tonight, it's gonna have to wait till tomorrow. But I am proud that I managed to turn in all my assignments for one class. I had 3 due in one week. Yikes!! Unfortunately, I still need to read like 2 chapters and take a test for my other class. Making time for my Craft Adventure Ventures is going to be tricky, but I've got to figure out a way to meet all my responsibilities, giving up is just not an option.

Also, I've decided that I'm going to auction off some of the Craft Adventure Ventures I've made to raise money for the Walk to End Alzheimer's in October. I've pulled a rag tag team together and we are the Las Vegas Ladybugs. We have a pretty lofty donation goal, but I think we can actually hit it if we all work together and stay on top of everything. We have a little over a month to do it.

Well I need to hit the hay, I've only been getting about 3 hours of sleep at night trying to squeeze everything in and it's catching up with me.

Update blog tomorrow, with photos I hope. *fingers crossed*

Stay Crafty!

Update Blog - Paper Silhouettes Revealed!

This week I wasn't able to complete a Craft Adventure Venture. Actually that's not completely accurate. I'll have it finished before I go to bed tonight, BUT I really didn't want another late night blog, so I'm calling it for this week.

I'll have super cute stuff to share next week, though. Baby Shower gifts are so much fun to make. Everything is so soft and cuddly. Sorry, I was distracted there for a minute by ultra cuddle fleece.

This week's blog is just an update from last week where I get to reveal the paper silhouettes that I made as birthday gifts. The recipients really liked them.

Just in case you missed it last week - Here is the link to the pieces that inspired these Craft Adventure Ventures: Handmade Silhouettes Etsy Store
(Lots of cute stuff in her store by the way. And I think I read that some of them are customizable.)

Craft Adventure Venture #7 - Part of Your World

Finished - No Frame. You can see the colors a little better

Finished - In Frame. You can see the depth best in this one.

So I had a couple issues with this one, but the picture was such a perfect layout that it really came together without much of a fight. I used cardstock for the silhouette pieces to give them a little more stability, but the background is scrapbook paper. I used glitter glue to highlight the water, her tail and as the stars in the sky.

Again, it's a really simple project that you need a bit of time to work on. You have to be patient and not rush through the cutting or you will cut something that was supposed to be left alone. Or you'll leave something and have to go back and correct it.

Just a note on negative space. What the heck is Negative Space? Paper silhouettes are all about negative space, so you really have to be discerning when selecting the picture you want to create. If it has too many details it's not going to translate well and no one will be sure what your subject is. But you also want it to have enough detail that it's interesting. Of course a completely sparse silhouette might be just your thing. It's Art after all, so who's to say.

The  How-Tos:

1) Find a picture that you like. Here, the moon was just perfect and it's pretty easy to figure out the figure and that she is sitting on a rock.

(Which I don't have the rights to use, but since it was a gift and I'm not selling these, I don't think they can say anything.)

2) Print out picture in the size you wish to work with - This is 8.5 x 11. But you can go up or down in size depending on what you want your finished piece to look like.
Print your picture in Black & White, (or Grayscale if your photo program doesn't give you that option), you'll use this as your template. The fewer fine details the better.

3) Cut out your pieces. For this one, I wanted to mimick the original piece as closely as possible with the dark background, light Moon and her in front. To do that I cut the Moon and reflection separately from the character. The paper I originally cut her out from wasn't really dark enough, so I went over the paper with a Copic Marker. It gave her a water colored feel that was a very happy accident.

Note - While I think this would still have been a nice piece in just black and white, no one says that silhouettes have to be duo-tone (two colors). You can have as many or as few colors as you like. Have fun with it.

4) Put the pieces together. The Moon is adhered with photo glue (non-acid glue stick) directly to the background. To give the character more depth I used foam dots to hold her in place.

Craft Adventure Venture #8 - The Pumpkin King

Finished - In Frame

Same how-to as above. For this one I used cardstock for the background, Moon and character. I used scrapbook paper for the hill and regular copy paper for the dog. I wanted the dog to seem a little translucent but I thought that vellum paper would be too much.

After I finished the piece I really thought it was too sparse and added more details that weren't there in the original picture I was working from. Even after retooling it a bit, I had some concerns. In the end the person who received it, loves it and that's all that matters.

These CAVs were for a couple, so I wanted to create a theme using the Moons. Even though the characters aren't related and the colors are different, seen side by side, it's clear they are supposed to be a set.

That's pretty much all there is. I'm looking forward to doing some more paper silhouettes in the future, I really enjoyed making them. Well, I need to pop back to the sewing machine and finish up those baby shower gifts. School starts next week, I'm nervous and excited and have no idea how I'm going to juggle everything. Where there's a will and lots of caffeine, there's a way.

My goal for next week is to not freak out, make some important phone calls and hopefully squeeze in an extra CAV to make up for this week. September is just around the corner, that means Halloween crafts and costumes. And the ban on knitting will be lifted and I have a charity project already in the wings. Till that time.. Stay Crafty!

This weeks totals: 0 Craft Adventure Ventures - total remains 8.

43.5 Craft Adventure Ventures to go!

How Doth the Little Busy Bee Improve Each Shining Hour..

I've been a very busy bee this week and yet, still didn't tick off all that I had hoped to accomplish. I suppose I should be upset that I still have a gigantic To Do List, but I'm trying to be practical and not stress out. Everything on the To Do List has a priority level and most of them fall into the 'Nice to have Completed' category. More importantly, every week I get better at managing my time.

Time management is a habit that you have to create. When you are younger it's much easier, your parents, teachers and coaches guide you where you need to be, when you need to be there. Almost every part of your day is planned out, so goofing off time is actually pretty hard to fit into your day. But when you become an adult, that's all up to you. Most people don't have a job that dictates where they should be at any given moment; you're assigned tasks and it's up to you to have the discipline to complete it in the time you've been given. When you work from home, (I include Stay Home Parents as Work from Homers), it's much easier to get lazy and be distracted and that's the trap I fell into over the last year or so. Now it's up to me to create more structure and believe it or not having The Craft Adventure Venture has really helped me to improve that. It's been an unexpected bonus from starting this project.

And now back to your regularly scheduled program..

This week I completed two Craft Adventure Ventures and they are both gifts. Which is a little sad, because I am excited to share them with you. You'll just have to wait, though. The Birthday Guy & Gal haven't received them in the mail yet, so until they get to see them, you'll have to be patient. It's worth the suspense. And that means an update blog! That's a little exciting, right?

I can tell you that they are both Paper Silhouettes. Here is the link to the pieces that inspired the Craft Adventure Ventures this week: Handmade Silhouettes Etsy Store
(She has some really cute stuff by the way.)

My creations actually don't look anything like these, they are more of a tribute. (Sorry, I couldn't resist) Anyway, these charming silhouettes combined with using my friend Becca's Cricut machine last week were the jumping off point for the weeks CAV. I don't have a Cricut machine, so these projects were all done by hand with an Exacto knife. (On a side note, if you have to use an Exacto knife or other craft knife for a project like this, try and find one of those squishy pencil rest thingies. I thought of that pretty late into my projects, but it really helps with the pressure and cramping.)

Here are the basics of the project - 1) Find a character silhouette, or a picture of someone special, or a pet or pretty much anything else that is iconic to you.

2) Print it out in black and white and use the B/W picture as a template to cut out your silhouette.

Note - Not everything is going to look good as a silhouette and layout is very important. Simple shapes work best. Similar to the cake topper project, look at whatever your subject is as it's simple shapes. And unless you are super good at using an Exacto knife, try and start with something with out a lot of detail or intricate patterns. It will look cleaner and there will be less chance of you cutting something important that should have been left in place.

3) Glue your pieces to a background.

The nice thing about this project is it can be as simple or detailed as you want to make it. You can layer up pieces to create depth or add small embellishments. It's a really fun project and I'm already thinking of other paper silhouettes I can make. They make great gifts and frame up nicely.

All wrapped and ready for the mail.

My time management goal for next week is to be up as well as dressed every day by 9am. School is a little over a week away, and I have a lot to get in order before I start. I need to set aside at least an hour working on math everyday, and I need to finish getting some things around the house organized for my Dad. Finally, I need to set aside at least an hour a day to get the rest of the baby items ready and sold on Ebay, which should hopefully help to clear up the clutter around here. Next weeks Craft Adventure Venture will be a baby shower gift, but I'm also trying to finish the crib sheet project for Ms. Bean.

Lots of exciting new things coming up, buzz buzz buzz.

Here's the count for this week: Two (2) Craft Adventure Ventures brings the total to 8!

42.5 Craft Adventure Ventures to go!

How Did It Get So Late So Soon? Its Night Before Its Afternoon..

My apologies for posting this a day late. As my return to school becomes imminent my need for planning and good time management is rapidly moving from a nicety to a necessity. Adding to the challenges this week was the fact that I was just completely wiped out. I couldn't sit for more then five minutes without dosing off, so I felt it was in my best interest last night to go to bed early, (at least by my standards), and get some much needed rest. Hence my late posting of this blog.

On a side note - I am going to stop prefacing my blog with how busy my week has been. With all the things I have committed to, it really goes without saying. I just have to make a concerted effort to plan out my day and manage my time better.

This week I only had time enough to work on one Craft Adventure Venture, and I had to call in back up to complete it. I've known for awhile that I would be working on a wedding craft/gift for my aunt who is getting married later this month. I just didn't know until last week what that craft/gift would be. Turned out to be cake toppers. My aunt has a very small wedding budget to work with, so some of the things she wanted for her wedding had to be let go. One item on her wish list, was a sparkly, 'blingy' set of monogram cake toppers. If you order them off the internet they cost around $40. Not a bad price, but definitely not in the cards with everything else she still needed to account for. So I offered to make them for her.

Here's my thinking on cake toppers. You only use them for a couple hours and then you put them away somewhere and never see them again (or sell them at a garage sale). Really you just need the cake topper to look pretty for a little while and take a nice photo. Initially, I wanted to find wooden letters, but since I was limited on time, where I could look and transportation, I had to come up with another plan.

My wonderful friend Rebecca has a Cricut machine. I'd briefly seen what it could do when I was working on my own budget wedding invitations. And I have to say that it pretty much rocks. I totally want one of my own. It's big downfalls are they are heavy, they take up a lot of space and they are expensive. (Cricuts come in a couple different sizes/types, so some of them may not be as heavy or big as the one Becca has. And she got hers on a Black Friday deal with a coupon, so you might be able to get around some of my issues.) Other than that, they are really cool. And make crafting so easy, especially this one.

The only description I was given from my aunt on her cake toppers was - 'Bling, I want Bling.' We opted for a thick glitter covered card stock (We had wanted chipboard, but couldn't find it), and picked up some princess cut rhinestone stickers for embellishment. It took us a while to play around with the font and size that we liked, but after about an hour we had the letters all cut out and ready to go.

We were using thick skewers for getting the letters to sit on the cake, so we needed a good way to hide them between the two pieces of card stock. We tried puffy glue dots, but that didn't really work, so I ended up just hot gluing everything together. (Which if we had been using any other type of paper would have ended really badly) Then I used glitter glue in the same color as the card stock to fill in the gaps that were left behind. It wasn't a perfect solution, but then I remembered my theater/stage craft class. When you are building a set or even acting on a stage, (in most cases), the closest person to you in the audience is 30 feet away. In this case, when you are talking about wedding decorations, no one is going to be sitting right up on the cake and when they photograph the cake it will most likely be from the front.

That just left the bling. I rounded up every sparkly rhinestone I had and made a few practice runs on where and how to fix the pieces. I started hot gluing the rhinestones on, but when I got to the smaller pieces all I really was doing was burning my hand, so I changed to glitter glue.

I think the overall result is blingy, sparkly and just right for a wedding.

Craft Adventure Venture #6

Wedding Cake Bling

If I had to change anything I think I would have chosen a different color for the glitter card stock. I knew my aunt was going to put flowers on the top of the cake, so I think it will look lovely when it's all set up, but it's a little hard to see how sparkly they really are. Since I didn't know her wedding colors I was limited, and I thought the silver they had would have over shadowed the rhinestones.

I sent her a text picture of them and she seemed really pleased and I can't wait to see how they looked on her cake. Every bride should feel special on their wedding day and if cake topper bling makes my aunt feel special, well then it was totally worth the burns on my fingers to make these for her.

This was a super simple project. If you don't have a Cricut you can use your printer to either make templates or print directly onto the paper you are using and then use an Exacto knife to cut them out. That will add a lot of time to the project, but it's still easy to do. The nice thing about this Craft Adventure Venture is you can apply it to other party related projects. Scale them down and make cupcake decorations, scale them up and make a yard sign or yard decorations. And you don't have to use just letters, if you are doing a cake for a party and it's a character theme, print, embellish and cut out the character and then use a skewer (one big enough to hold the weight) to create your cake topper.

Even if you are working on a budget you can find a way to get the look or decoration you desire without spending a lot of money or time. You just have to look at things from a different perspective. Kind of like when you are learning to draw and they tell you to look for the simple shapes in more complex objects. Mickey Mouse is three circles and a square, you know that kind of thing.

Coming up this week, organization, organization, and Ebay. I still have a couple of Ms. Bean projects to tackle. But most important I have two birthday presents to make and a baby shower gift to complete. I'm going to be a busy little Do-Bee.

Final Tally for the week - 1 Craft Adventure Venture brings the total to 6 and .5 Bonus Quests.

45.5 Craft Adventure Ventures to go!

I Have No Idea What Day It Is - Frankenscarf Update

I was so excited that I finished my blog on time yesterday. A little disappointed to not have the scarf finished for a second week, but glad that I had something to show for the week. And as I drifted off to sleep my brain said to me, "You know it's Thursday, right?" The answer to that was nope, sure as heck if I didn't. I apologize if my internal calendar lapse caused any confusion.

So now it's Friday and I've already posted my blog for the week. I did finish the Frankenscarf last night and wanted to give a quick update.

Wrapped around Ms. Bean

My Albatross - Frankenscarf

I didn't turn out as bad as I thought it was going to. I managed to get all the way to the end before I ran out of white yarn. I can see how badly the stripes don't match and it's glaringly obvious where I messed up the knit pattern, but it's a passable scarf. It's warm and fuzzy, so when winter comes around it will be very nice to have, even if it is homely.

So there he is and I think I'm going to pass on the knitting for a month. Maybe a break will get my mojo working again.

Finally Tally for the week -

1.5 Craft Adventure Ventures and .5 Bonus Adventures; 46.5 CAVs to go!

Ah ! Well a-day ! What Evil Knits

I endeavor to keep this blog short, as I am very tired today. However, I am easily distracted and verbose so it may not happen.

The Scarf

That stupid scarf has become my Albatross. It's still not finished. I took it apart, re-knit the pattern and still managed to mess it up. Additionally I may run out of white yarn before I complete it. I flatly refuse to buy another skein of the white yarn, so I'll most likely Frankenstein something together. I have no idea what I will do with it after I am finished with it,(OH! I will finish that scarf!), since the pattern is a mess and it will have some random yarn at the bottom. I didn't even bother taking a picture of it this week, because I'm simply disgusted with the whole affair and couldn't bare to immortalize the lumping thing. Instead enjoy this photo.

Sad Albatross is Sad. And also he hates scarves.

It's really too bad because the yarn is really comfy and I made it extra long. Maybe I'll post it on Facebook and the 1st person to like it will get it. "Wonky Scarf Needs Good Home." I'll have to keep you posted on it's plight.

Craft Adventure Ventures

I did complete a couple of small projects. I was distracted by them while trying to finish finding something else and cleaning. Sometimes my ADD creates whimsical things and here they are.

Doodle Bobs

I need to make them chains or turn them into key chains, but for all intents and purposes they are completed projects. They each took less then 15 minutes, so combined they only equal 1/2 of a CAV.

Bonus Adventure #1

My friend Becca was wonderful and came & picked up Ms. Bean & I and took us to Micheal's. I needed to get some items for another Bonus Adventure I am in the process of making. (It's a gift for a wedding and I really hope it turns out as cute as I think it will. Can't wait to share.) While there Becca & I picked up random items to keep Ms. Bean occupied. On of them was a little wooden cat mask for Halloween. Ms. Bean is ALL about the cats, so she hung onto it pretty tight and didn't want to give it up. Consequently it came home with us. Since it's a distract Bean object, I suppose I could have left it alone. BUT I didn't so 30 minutes later I had this..

It looks better now that the glue is dry.

I'm still trying to get the hand of embrodery, but all in all I think it turned out cute. I don't have much in the way of tutorial, since I pretty much just winged the whole thing. I used left over felt, some embroidery thread, ribbon from the stash and a left over sparkly pipe cleaner. I embroidered the face, mod-podged everything to the mask, folded and hot glued the eye holes and ribbon and then I was done.

Ms. Bean seemed to appreciate it, at least until that flippin' Dream Lights commercial came on.

Distracted by the lullaby of commerce

Anyway, same rules apply to Bonus Adventures that apply to Craft Adventure Ventures. This project took a little over 30 minutes (I'm really slow at embroidery), so it's worth 1/2 of a Bonus Adventure.

It's been a rough and busy week. I truly hope to be finished with the Frankenscarf, but I've now said that 2 weeks in a row, so I'm playing it by ear. Despite everything I did create time to craft, even if it was only an hour, it's still something. I have a few Bean projects that need to be finished and I absolutely must complete the Wedding Bonus Adventure next week. Another busy week ahead. But I should have some nice items to share for next week.

This weeks tally is:

1/2 Craft Adventure Venture bringing me to 4.5 completed, 47.5 to go. Plus! .5 Bonus Adventures.

I should come up with an inspirational or funny phrase to end my blog. If you have any suggestions, comment below. If nothing else we'll all have a good giggle.

Gang Aft Agley*

(Part two)

It's been a busy week. My little one is transitioning from a two nap schedule to a one nap. Which means she's cranky as well as stubborn persistent and she's bored with being couped up in the house because of our lovely summer heat. In addition, my husband has been working really long hours, I'm trying to juggle not having a car with multiple errands & appointments, send in a voice over audition, get set for the Fall semester and prepare for both my brother's visit & my Dad's upcoming trip. *deep breath*

Finding time to devote to Craft Adventure Ventures as well as make time to blog about them has really been a trial. For instance I had set a goal that I would finish knitting the scarf, get it cleaned and have it mailed off by Wednesday. By Tuesday night I had managed to mangle the pattern completely and I still wasn't finished with it. I decided to set it aside so that I could finish my brother's gift and then I could tackle either finishing the scarf as is, or go back (pull all the stitches) and fix what I had messed up. Late night knitting doesn't agree with me apparently, at least when there is a pattern involved. Instead of trying to be superwomen and finish all the CAVs in a few months, I'm going to be more realistic about my goals. I have a lot on my plate, it's okay if I only complete one Craft Adventure Venture a week. I'll still hit 52 projects by July 2013, I have to keep that in perspective.

I was able to complete one CAV this week and it's a birthday gift for my Brother. Carrying on with the theme of Murphy's Law, I had anticipated only spending about 30 minutes creating my brother's gift. It turned into a 2 day ordeal because I didn't follow instructions. The good news is that it now counts as a full Craft Adventure Venture, the bad news is that I had to buy new supplies in order to finish the gift.

Project # 4 - Keep Calm T-shirt

I'm sure you've seen them around the internet and stores, the Keep Calm and 'Fill in the Blank' signs and items. While trolling through Pinterest I came across this charming picture. (Sorry, the link doesn't direct to an artist) I thought, that it would make a great shirt for my brother, who is an avid hockey fan and player, and so set out to create said shirt.

(Here's where the 'Keep Calm' thing comes from, in case you have no idea what I'm talking about right now. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keep_Calm_and_Carry_On.  And I think the first person I ever saw wearing anything with Keep Calm on it was Rupert Grint at a Harry Potter movie premiere, but I digress)

If I had more time I would have tried the screen printing technique I had found on Pinterest, but I knew that wasn't going to happen this week, so I went with t-shirt transfer instead. I have used them before with great success, but I guess it just wasn't in the cards, because I had nothing but trouble this time out.

First snag I encountered was that I really didn't like the way the image from Pinterest looked when I printed it out. It just wasn't interesting enough for a t-shirt. Also I was limited to 8.5x11" which isn't really a very large image. So I created a new image and I liked it. But then I realized that I didn't think the words were quite right for my brother, so I changed those too. But in order to do that I needed a font that looked more like the one used on the poster. (If I'm gonna do something, I'm gonna do it right) And low & behold I found this site - Free Font - Keep Calm Typeface : http://www.k-type.com/?p=2156. Isn't the internet great? On a small side note, this isn't exactly like the original because the originals were hand lettered, but this is the one that looked the closest to me.

Second monkey wrench in the works was when I learned that t-shirt transfers get old, and when they get old, they don't work as well. It turned out really neat and kind of vintage looking and then I ran my hand across it to fix a small snag and it tore. Not all the way off, but enough that it made a nice big hole and completely ruined it as a gift. (Hooray! Another night shirt, can never have too many night shirts. *sigh*) At this point my choice was, spend hours picking the transfer off the shirt, washing it and trying to use the fabric markers I have to finish the project. Or run to the store get a new shirt & start over.

I went with option two, new shirt (found a much cooler base t-shirt so that worked out nicely) and new transfers. You would think, I would have been more careful this second go round, but again, I didn't fully read the instructions and I printed the image improperly. However, before trying to affix it to the t-shirt I cruised through the guide and realized my mistake. In addition to finding out I had printed the damn thing backwards I also found out that the background would remain white, not transparent like the first set of transfers I had used. Which meant I had to go back and tweak the image again. (If you are keeping score at home, that is now the fourth time the image has been changed. So much for a 30 minute project.)

Even after reading the instructions the shirt didn't come out how I originally thought. Which is fine, because the way it turned out looks more like a vintage t-shirt image. All's well that ends well, I guess. Hopefully my brother will like it and wear it and not be confused about why I even made it for him.

Here's the finished Craft Adventure Venture -

I'm hoping it will soften up a bit more as it's worn & washed.

Another super busy week coming up. School stuff, prepping for a large consignment sale, helping get my Dad ready for his trip, and something else I can't remember right now. I know they say 'The Devil finds work for idle hands', but if he showed up around here, I'd be liable to put him to work.

My goal for this week: finish the scarf. I'd add more to this list, but it's a very hectic week and I'm being pragmatic. If by chance I am able to do more, it's the cherry on the sundae.

That about wraps it up, more fun with time management next week. Oh, and lest you think I have forgotten:

Go-Big-or-Go-Home Peanut Butter Truffle Brownies

Brownie Porn

1 Craft Adventure Venture brings the count to 48 CAV projects to go!

 
*Actual quote/poem from Robert Burns: http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/32287.html

The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men...

Just a short little note. My lovely toddler has been an ever increasing challenge this week and my brother is coming into to town (Yea!!), so I'm running behind.

I was not able to finish the scarf. In fact, in my very tired state, I actually messed up the pattern. That means I won't be sending it along to the intended recipient. (I'll just have to come up with another project for her. Oh well, it's already over half a year late. What's a few more weeks. *thuppt*)
Note to self for future projects:  If you are very tired, do not knit a patterned piece.

I was able to finish a CAV project despite being tired, distracted and busy. It's a gift for my brother and I'll be posting pictures of it, as well as the now mispatterned scarf on Saturday.
(After we handle removing, checking and possible replacing the starter in my car. Yep, just a little busy.)

Well, I really should get back to baking the 'Go-Big-or-Go-Home, Peanut Butter Truffle Brownies' for my Brother's birthday. (I'll have pictures of them as well. It's too bad the interwebs doesn't have smell-o-vision, cause they smell fantastic!)

GO USA!! I'm not a huge sports fan, but I really look forward to the Olympics. It's going to be a fun couple of weeks.

That about sums it up tonight. Pictures and another blog tomorrow.

A naked blond walks into a bar with a poodle under one arm...

Did you ever have one of those weeks where the starter on your car goes out, your baby gets 3 teeth all at the same time, you have to go to the IRS office, talk to the Financial Aid & Registration people at your school, take your cat to the Veterinarian and complete a craft project for your blog? Really? Oh good, for a minute I thought it was just me.

It's been a really hectic, not always productive week. And I'm fighting a summer cold, so you'll have to excuse me. Not to say I wasn't working on craft projects, I did. I even have the photo to prove it, I just wasn't successful in completing them. I'm still getting the hang of time management with a toddler and I endeavor to improve this issue for next week.

With that said, here is an Update, a Progress report and a Thought for the week.

Project Update -
Last week I showed you the cute box with my friend's birthday present inside. This week I'll show you what I made for her.

She was really happy & reportedly wore it the very next day.

It's a happy little dinosaur necklace!

It took me forever to find the tiny eye screw. I've seen necklaces similar to this at Claire's and Hot Topic, but there is no reason to buy them if you can make one for yourself in just a few minutes. Check coin machines, toy stores and garage sales for mini (hard) plastic animals. If it's not in a color you like you can always paint them, yes, even if it's plastic. Then visit your local hardware store for the smallest eye screws you can find, hit it with a little superglue & voila! You have a nerdy, whimsical necklace. *happy dance*


Progress Report -
I'm working on a loom knitting project. (Loom knitting is fun and easy to learn. And for me, less intimidating the traditional knitting or crocheting.) Like many of my projects for this blog, I am way past the original due date. This one was supposed to be finished and mailed last year before the holidays. I'm only like a half a year late. Sadly, that's a lot better then a couple of the projects out in the craft bin jungle.

It's a scarf. A warm fuzzy soft scarf. Seems a bit silly now in the 105 degree temperatures, but it will be a really lovely thing to have in a few months, I promise. Honestly, I'd be finished with it if I had remembered to bring my knitting with me to the IRS office. (Instead I sat and listened to a very disagreeable old man argue politics with his wife/girlfriend. It was delightful.) I am confident that I'll be able to finish it and have it mailed by Wednesday of this coming week.

Please ignore the mess around my kitchen table, thanks.

I'm just a little shy of half way done. When I finish all the rows, I'll tuck in the loose ends, give it a quick wash and send it to it's intended recipient. Who will more then likely be very surprised to receive it as I'm fairly certain she's forgotten all about it by now. It's the principle of the thing.


Thought for the Week -

I read an article this week about busy-ness. How most people dread 3pm because they only have a few hours left to knock out projects, To Do's, emails and what not before the end of their day. Lately, I have accumulated a large quantity of responsibilities and projects. It feels like as soon as I cross two items off, four pop into their place. The person who wrote the article sited a study that suggests that this busy-ness is mostly self created. That people pack their To Do lists with stuff, so they can feel like they are important. And the point the article was trying to impart is that we, as humans, need down time. Real down time, not TV or Internet time. Time to just clear our heads and make room for creative thoughts, solutions, etc. We need to leave room in our schedules to interact with people as people, not as part of our To Do list.

With everything that I honestly HAVE to do: take care of Bean, care for my cat, maintain the house, produce meals, am I adding things to my To Do list to feel needed or valued? You see, there seems to be an idea that if you stay home with your children, you aren't doing anything of importance. Which, when you think about it, is completely ridiculous. Raising a healthy little human is probably the only true thing of value most people will do in their lives. (And based on recent news reports, it doesn't seem like many people are capable of doing it well.) But because it's not a job attached to a pay stub it's easy for people to belittle and devalue it.

Am I devaluing my own contribution to my family? I don't think I've come up with a complete answer, yet. Like the rest of the things attached to my blog, it's a work in progress. I will say that I made more of an effort to appreciate the time I shared with my daughter today. She was being a bit of a pill, and I had to remind myself that she's growing so fast. In a blink of an eye she'll be headed out the door to school with her own To Do list and I will sorely miss the time I share with her now.

As for school, that is a necessity. We can't make one income work for much longer and in the current job market, I have to have more to offer then what I bring to the table now. I'll do what needs to be done for my family's well being.

What about the blog? I thought about this for a while. Is it really a good use of my limited free time? Here's what I think. A good portion of the Craft Adventure Ventures are gifts for people in my life. In that way each one is a way to connect with someone I care about. I was giddy waiting to see if my friend liked her present and couldn't wait to talk to her when she finally received it. Does that make me feel important? No, it makes me feel loved. And this blog is my way of sharing that love, reminding myself that it's out there and that in my own little way I made someone happy. If you ask me that's better then feeling important. So if the point of the article was to value your connections with people and make time for yourself to just be, I think I'm more successful than I first suspected.