Going Away Gifts

When we moved to North Carolina I was so sad to have to leave the people we had grown so close to in Kentucky. They were my family. My kids were born and raised there. I think of Kentucky as my home. It's where I learned to be a mom. :) I recently met somebody who has to move for a while. Her husbands job keeps him on the move. I thought I would give her something to remember us by. These were really easy to make if you ever have to say goodbye to a friend. Just trace out your state, sew a little heart near the town, and put it on a shirt. Cheap, easy, and thoughtful.

Fun with Polymer Clay

There are many, many things that one can do with Polymer Clay. I sort of did these the hard way and got white clay and painted them. I wouldn't do it again. It took at least seven coats of paint for everything! I realize that is probably why the clay comes already colored. I will remember that for next time. The one thing is that I saved a few bucks only having to buy one color and I borrowed cookie cutters from a friend (the same one who gave me all the scrapbook paper) to make all these neat things. She actually gave me the idea for these from Christmas ornaments she was making for her friends and family. I love having friends that like crafting as much as I do!


The picture for this one doesn't really do it justice. It is actually small and delicate-looking. I used a cookie cutter for the umbrella if that gives you an idea of the size.

Space Shirt

I met another mom who makes really cute knitted hats and we decided to trade. Her two boys are getting space shirts and my kids will get hats for their noggins. Here is one of the shirts. I still haven't thought of something cool for the second one, but I am working on it.

A Monster of a Mobile

For my littlest monster. Cost of materials, zero. I love a bargain!

The Mary Benson House

For Christmas this year I decided to make shirts for all the women at the Mary Benson House in Asheville, NC. It is a treatment facility for substance abuse and they house seven women and their children. I made a shirt and a necklace for all of the mothers there, but since the turnover rate is pretty high (a sad statistic) I made some extra for any new mothers that come in. It won't cure them, but if it makes them smile just once during their long journey ahead then I am happy.

The Guitar Mobile

A new friend of mine liked the heart mobile that I made for Sophia and asked me if I could do a guitar one for her rock star son. Here is what I came up with.

Marbleizing With Spray Paint

A friend taught me how to use spray paint and water on canvas to make these cool designs. So easy and so fun! Just find fun colors, spray the water, dip the canvas and let them dry. Water will pill up on them, but it goes away when they dry. You can layer the paint to make certain colors stand out. I used a paint pen on one to draw butterflies, it turned out pretty neat. Enjoy!